{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Current Events on Jamie Thingelstad", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2025/14/1545.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/", "feed_url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/02/24/u-for-four-years-ukraine.html", "content_html": "

U2:

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\n

For four years Ukraine has been resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion. Soldiers of the Khartiya Corps are among the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who conduct daily military operations to defend their country against the invading Russian army. This film contains footage from a documentary about Ukrainian soldiers fighting for freedom.

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\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2026-02-24T23:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/02/24/u-for-four-years-ukraine.html", "tags": ["Music","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/02/01/these-signs-are-all-over.html", "content_html": "

These signs are all over in Minneapolis right now.

\n\"Sign\n", "date_published": "2026-02-01T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/02/01/these-signs-are-all-over.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/01/24/neighborhood-vigil.html", "content_html": "

Candlelight vigil in our neighborhood. πŸ•―οΈ

\n\"Outdoor\n", "date_published": "2026-01-24T20:39:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/01/24/neighborhood-vigil.html", "tags": ["Home","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/01/14/good-data-visualizations-showing-ice.html", "content_html": "

Good data visualizations showing ICE presence versus police in Twin Cities area.

\n\"Two\n\"A\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2026-01-14T23:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/01/14/good-data-visualizations-showing-ice.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/23/with-a-market-cap-of.html", "content_html": "

With a market cap of $4 trillion the 5% move in NVDA shares led a $200 billion increase in market cap β€” double the $100 billion investment.

\n
\n

Nvidia, a chipmaker, signed a deal to invest as much as $100bn in OpenAI, an artificial-intelligence firm, to build data centres with a capacity of 10 gigawatts. Nvidia will reportedly receive equity in OpenAI in return. The firms said the deal would power advanced AI. More than 700m people use OpenAI each week. Shares in Nvidia were up nearly 5% on Monday. β€” The Economist, The World in Brief, September 23 2025

\n
\n

You gotta spend money to make money?

\n", "date_published": "2025-09-23T12:39:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/23/with-a-market-cap-of.html", "tags": ["AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/18/easy-way-or-the-hard.html", "title": "Easy Way or the Hard Way", "content_html": "

Government censorship the “easy way or the hard way”.

\n
\n

ABC, a television network owned by Disney, suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night chat show indefinitely after the Federal Communications Commission’s chairman implied ABC’s broadcast licence was at risk. On Monday Mr Kimmel suggested that Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer was a MAGA sympathiser, sparking an outcry from conservatives. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Brendan Carr, the head of the FCC, said on Wednesday. Critics fear that free expression over Kirk is being silenced by firings and threats. β€”Β The Economist, The US in Brief, September 18th 2025

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\n
\n

ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show following comments the American comedian made about the murder of Charlie Kirk. Mr Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was scoring political points over the shooting of the right-wing activist, and pretending the murderer was “anything other than one of them”. Mr Trump–who is increasingly targeting what he considers left-wing organisations–congratulated the Disney-owned network for its action. β€”Β The Economist, The World in Brief, September 18th 2025

\n
\n", "date_published": "2025-09-18T18:36:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/18/easy-way-or-the-hard.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/07/10/absolutely-incredible-valuation-first-to.html", "content_html": "

Absolutely incredible valuation β€”Β first to $4,000,000,000,000.

\n
\n

Nvidia became the first company to reach a market capitalisation of more than $4trn. The chipmaker has prospered despite concerns about Mr Trump’s tariffs and the rise of Chinese artificial-intelligence firms. Shares in the American company soared by almost 3% on Wednesday before falling slightly. Nvidia’s rise has been rapid. It only hit a valuation of $1trn in 2023. β€” The Economist, World in Brief, July 10th 2025

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\n

And I thought NVDA was overvalued 2 years ago. Wow.

\n", "date_published": "2025-07-10T14:13:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/07/10/absolutely-incredible-valuation-first-to.html", "tags": ["AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/07/01/in-i-shared-archimedes-famous.html", "content_html": "

In 2023 I shared Archimedes’ famous line:

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\n

Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.

\n
\n

At the time, I suggested the real “threat” to capitalism isn’t socialism or communism but is instead technology itself.

\n

With AI, that lever just got a lot longer.

\n", "date_published": "2025-07-01T07:38:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/07/01/in-i-shared-archimedes-famous.html", "tags": ["AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/15/i-am-glad-we-can.html", "content_html": "

I am glad we can support Zero Line on their next convoy of aid to Ukraine and their continued work to support the people of Ukraine. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n", "date_published": "2025-05-15T18:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/15/i-am-glad-we-can.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/07/learned-a-lot-at-economic.html", "content_html": "

Learned a lot at “Economic Update - Tariffs & General Economic Trends” with Matt Haggerty of RSM at MnTech Tech Connect 2025.

\n

55% chance of recession β€” Economist speak for “very high”. Predicted April will be the last month of positive job growth. Many false signals due to tariff “pull-ins”.

\n\"Presenter\n", "date_published": "2025-05-07T21:19:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/07/learned-a-lot-at-economic.html", "tags": ["Tech Community","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/04/19/for-those-that-believe-that.html", "title": "Chaos and Dysfunctional", "content_html": "

For those that believe that government should be run more like a company β€” having five different leaders in the same role in a year is a sign of complete chaos and dysfunction in any company.

\n
\n

Mr Trump will reportedly replace the acting boss of the Internal Revenue Service after Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, complained to the president. Gary Shapley, who was appointed just three days ago, was apparently installed at the behest of Elon Musk, even though the IRS commissioner reports to Mr Bessent. Mr Shapley’s replacement will be the fifth to hold the job this year. β€”Β The Economist, The World in Brief, April 19 2025

\n
\n", "date_published": "2025-04-19T08:26:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/04/19/for-those-that-believe-that.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/03/24/im-very-happy-with-these.html", "content_html": "

I’m very happy with these Ukrainian Tryzub Trident pins that I ordered from ShopUA 1000. Made in Ukraine. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Six\n", "date_published": "2025-03-24T21:29:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/03/24/im-very-happy-with-these.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/12/18/i-had-guessed.html", "content_html": "

I had guessed that Musk’s net worth would double in the next four years β€” which would be something like $700 billion.

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Elon Musk’s net worth has climbed by more than $200 billion in 2024, a massive increase in the same year that the world’s richest person spent at least $277 million backing Donald Trump and other Republican candidates. β€” Washington Post, Dec 15, 2024

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\n

Leaves him at $442 billion now. Just another 50% to hit that $700 billion. 🎯

\n

$277 million to get $200 billion? As Lawrence Lessig highlighted so well in Rebublic Lost β€” political grift has a very high ROI. πŸ’Έ

\n\"Cartoon\n", "date_published": "2024-12-18T21:49:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/12/18/i-had-guessed.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/11/23/interesting-exercise-to.html", "content_html": "

Wonder what Musk’s net worth will be four years from now?

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\n

Elon Musk’s net worth hit a record high of $347.8bn, according to Bloomberg. Mr Musk, already the world’s richest person, has had a profitable few weeks since the election of his buddy Donald Trump. Shares in Tesla, Mr Musk’s electric-vehicle company, rose by 3.8% on Friday. Investors clearly think there are advantages to being in the president-elect’s inner circle. β€”Β The Economist, November 23rd 2024

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\n

My guess β€” double. 😳

\n", "date_published": "2024-11-23T07:34:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/11/23/interesting-exercise-to.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/11/19/days-today-ukraine.html", "content_html": "

1,000 days today.

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\n

Ukraine marks 1000 days of full-scale war. “For 1,000 days, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been confronting the enemy on the front line, which stretches over 1,000 kilometers,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 19, Day 1,000 of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. β€”Β The Kyiv Independent, November 19, 2024

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\n

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n", "date_published": "2024-11-19T16:06:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/11/19/days-today-ukraine.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/11/08/misrc-digital-leadership.html", "title": "MISRC Digital Leadership Conference", "content_html": "

I attended this mornings MISRC Digital Leadership Conference: Charting the AI Journey and also spoke on a panel with Jean Machart and Elwin Loomis about strategy around AI.

\n

Cris Ross from Mayo Clinic shared how they are using AI and that he believes AI will impact healthcare more than the Internet and Smartphone did. Ross also shared this good list of “Seven Technological Challenges” regarding AI.

\n
    \n
  1. Data for building and validating AI
    2. \n
  2. Data for running AI
    3. \n
  3. Building AI
    4. \n
  4. Buying AI
    5. \n
  5. Implementation in workflow
    6. \n
  6. Change management with clinicians and patients
    7. \n
  7. Monitoring and managing
    8. \n
\n

Listening to him present it seemed to me that it will only be a matter of time before exam rooms are all equipped with microphones where AI can transcribe the conversation between Doctor and Patient, removing the need for note taking and allowing the Doctor to be more completely engaged. This would also allow for AI to consider diagnoses that could be missed.

\n

Jake Krings and Melissa Ludack from Target showed how they are using AI both in the store for the team experience and in their app to help with gift ideas.

\n

\"Tiered\"Presenter\"Two\"Two

\n", "date_published": "2024-11-08T17:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/11/08/misrc-digital-leadership.html", "tags": ["AI","Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/11/05/i-voted-on.html", "content_html": "

I voted on October 17 via mail and thanks to the impressively well run Minnesota voting system I can confirm my ballot was accepted by the election board to be counted today. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ—³οΈβ˜‘οΈ

\n\"Middle-aged\n", "date_published": "2024-11-05T12:23:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/11/05/i-voted-on.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/11/01/not-one-undecillion.html", "content_html": "

Not one undecillion, but two!

\n
\n

Russia ordered Google to pay a fine of two undecillion roubles (roughly $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). The sum is many times bigger than the world’s GDP. The fine is punishment for restrictions on Russian state media on YouTube, a website that Google owns. A Kremlin spokesperson reportedly said that he “cannot even pronounce this number”. β€”Β The Economist, World in Brief, Nov 1 2024

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\n

Yes an undecillion is a thing. What is the point of a ruling like this?

\n", "date_published": "2024-11-01T20:41:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/11/01/not-one-undecillion.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/10/26/this-three-minute.html", "content_html": "

This three minute video recap of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission highlights so many incredible achievements.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2024-10-26T14:48:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/10/26/this-three-minute.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/10/21/money-and-elections.html", "title": "Money and Elections", "content_html": "

In 2010 Citizens United.

\n
\n

The court held 5–4 that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and other associations.

\n
\n

14 years later…

\n
\n

Elon Musk said that swing-state voters who sign a petition “in support of the constitution” will be entered into a lottery with a daily prize of $1m. The Trump-supporting billionaire previously promised $47 to anyone who convinced a swing-state voter to sign. The legality of the move is unclear. Seeking to “induce or reward” voters for “engaging” in acts “necessary to cast a ballot” is illegal. β€” The Economist, Oct 21 2024

\n
\n

Sometimes it feels like we are on a straight line to just buying votes.

\n", "date_published": "2024-10-21T20:45:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/10/21/money-and-elections.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/05/16/happy-vyshyvanka-day.html", "title": "Happy Vyshyvanka Day!", "content_html": "

We have celebrated Vyshyvanka Day in our Kyiv office for years now, but this year we also decided to take part in Vyshyvanka Day in Minneapolis as well. Alexander Ivakhnenko and Valentin Kornukh led the event with delicious Ukrainian snacks and treats including: Pierogi (including Potato, Meat, and Cherry), Modovik cake, Kyiv cake, Napoleon Cake, and Kvas to drink. We also had a Ukrainian trivia challenge to learn more about different aspects of Ukraine. It was a great time! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Four\n\"Trays\n\"Large\n\"Paper\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2024-05-16T18:43:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/05/16/happy-vyshyvanka-day.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/04/19/crucially-important-house.html", "content_html": "

Crucially important House of Representatives vote coming up to provide critical aid to Ukraine! I just got off the phone with Representative Omar’s office expressing my support for these bills and asking for her vote in support. Thank you to Stand With Ukraine MN for the steps! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Call4Ukraine\n", "date_published": "2024-04-19T12:36:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/04/19/crucially-important-house.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/19/this-chart-of.html", "content_html": "

This chart of SPSC performance since IPO is amazing. Compared to the high growth tech giants β€” outperforms AMZN, MSFT, GOOG, AAPL. 🀩

\n\"Daily\n", "date_published": "2024-02-19T18:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/19/this-chart-of.html", "tags": ["BigCharts","MarketWatch","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/16/we-had-friends.html", "content_html": "

We had friends and colleagues from Ukraine as well as local folks that have moved from Ukraine over for dinner, lots of wine, and even more stories and laughs. It was a wonderful evening for my spirit and soul. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ’™πŸ’›

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2024-02-16T22:51:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/16/we-had-friends.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/12/honored-to-get.html", "content_html": "

Honored to receive these amazing Ukrainian vyshyvanka from Yuri β€” visiting for the first time in five years. I’m looking forwarding to celebrating Ukrainian culture on Vyshyvanka Day in May. They are from Piccolo. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Man\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2024-02-12T18:23:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/12/honored-to-get.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/07/minneapolis-downtown-council.html", "title": "Minneapolis Downtown Council 2024 Annual Meeting", "content_html": "

I got to attend the 2024 Minneapolis Downtown Council annual meeting today at the Armory. Our own Karin Lucas chairs the board and addressed the crowd. Amelia Santaniello emceed the event, with special appearances from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

\n

There were many, many statistics shared about all the great things going on in downtown. It did seem like there was a lot of development going on. There is also a strong focus on safety and law enforcement. It was cool to see that SPS Commerce is the 9th largest employer with 1,465 people, up one spot from 2023 when we were 10th with 1,346.

\n
\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"
\n

See also: 2023 Meeting; 2020 Event, 2020 Music, and 2020 Speakers.

\n", "date_published": "2024-02-07T22:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/07/minneapolis-downtown-council.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/10/milestone-day-to.html", "title": "Bitcoin ETF Approved", "content_html": "

Milestone day to recognize β€” SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs for Everyday Investors. Bitcoin doesn’t need this to validate it or prove value but it is a big plus for the credibility of Bitcoin. BTC currently at $46,611 now.

\n

Questions:

\n\n\"WSJ\n", "date_published": "2024-01-10T19:47:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/10/milestone-day-to.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/12/20/i-dig-the.html", "content_html": "

I dig the simple and distinct look of the new Minnesota state flag. Certainly a more modern look.

\n

Several years ago when I was still on the board of Minnestar we created a new branding system that looks almost like a precursor to the new flag.

\n\"Minnesota\n", "date_published": "2023-12-20T21:56:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/12/20/i-dig-the.html", "tags": ["Minnestar","Tech Community","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/07/i-voted-just.html", "content_html": "

I voted! Just one election on the ballot so was fast. Minnesota does a great job running polling places. OmniFocus shirt seemed like a good tie in.

\n\"Red\n", "date_published": "2023-11-07T13:58:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/07/i-voted-just.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/02/yuri-sent-me.html", "content_html": "

Yuri sent me this photo of Kyiv looking great at sunset. I miss my trips there to visit the team.

\n\"Kyiv\n", "date_published": "2023-11-02T12:42:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/02/yuri-sent-me.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/06/some-data-on.html", "content_html": "

Some data on this summers heat.

\n
\n

The past three months have been the hottest ever measured, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, an EU-funded programme. Last month was the warmest August on record β€” and the second hottest month ever, after July 2023 β€” with temperatures an estimated 1.5Β°C above preindustrial averages. In August sea-surface temperatures also hit 20.98Β°C, their highest monthly average. β€” Economist Espresso, Sep 6 2023

\n
\n", "date_published": "2023-09-06T06:35:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/06/some-data-on.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/08/24/years-of-ukraine.html", "title": "32 Years of Ukraine Independence", "content_html": "

Ukraine is commemorating its 32nd year of independence today! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ It also marks the 547th day fighting Russia’s invasion. A stark reminder that independence isn’t simple or free.

\n

I’ve been a subscriber of the Kyiv Independent since it launched. This is the best way to get direct English language news from Ukraine. Join me with a Kyiv Independent membership to be better informed and support independent journalism in Ukraine.

\n

Today is also good day to read “Everything you didn’t know about Ukraine’s flag”. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Man \n_Wearing my [Kyiv Archangel shirt](https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us/products/kyiv-archangel-adult-t-shirt) and Ukraine colored heart pin I received from our team in Kyiv._\n", "date_published": "2023-08-24T09:48:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/08/24/years-of-ukraine.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/07/01/wild-milestone-apple.html", "content_html": "

Wild milestone.

\n
\n

Apple, an American tech giant, surpassed $3trn in market value for the first time since January 2022, when it briefly became the first publicly listed company to do so. Shares in the iPhone-maker subsequently slipped back, but they have increased in value by almost 50% this year, despite two consecutive quarters of declining revenues. The firm is now worth $500bn more than Microsoft, a tech rival. β€” Economist Espresso, July 1, 2023

\n
\n

$3 trillion? πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°

\n", "date_published": "2023-07-01T07:44:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/07/01/wild-milestone-apple.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/12/london-welcoming-crypto.html", "title": "London Welcoming Crypto?", "content_html": "

You may not be a fan of a16z (Andreessen Horowitz). You may not be a fan of crypto. But pushing fintech innovation outside of the United States is not a good idea. The movements by regulators against crypto have much more to do with protecting power and marketing than they do about protecting consumers. See my post from Dec 2022 on Polarizing Technology.

\n
\n

Andreessen Horowitz, an American venture-capital firm, will open its first international office in London. The branch will focus on investments in crypto and blockchain startups. The firm believes that Britain’s government is more hospitable towards cryptocurrency. Regulators in America have clamped down on big crypto companies recently. β€” Economist Espresso, June 12, 2023

\n
\n

Also, inside the crypto community it is disheartening to see some in the Bitcoin community in effect supporting these moves. Bitcoin isn’t somehow immune on this, it is just the biggest and most widely-held of crypto. Regulators will try to undermine smaller ecosystems first.

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-12T21:56:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/12/london-welcoming-crypto.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/07/ukrainian-officials-estimated.html", "title": "Kakhovka dam", "content_html": "
\n

Ukrainian officials estimated that about 42,000 people are at risk from the flooding triggered by explosions at the Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled area of southern Ukraine. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting, during which Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for the blasts. America, Britain and France called for an investigation. Martin Griffiths, the UN’s aid chief, warned that the “sheer magnitude of the catastrophe” will be only realised in the coming days. β€” Economist Espresso, June 7, 2023

\n
\n

Horrible destruction that will take a decade to rectify.

\n
\n

Efforts to rescue those endangered by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, located in a Russian-controlled area of south-east Ukraine, continued. Ukrainian officials reported that 29 towns and villages had been flooded, leaving people stranded on their rooftops and without drinking water. Authorities say at least 40,000 people must be evacuated. Russia and Ukraine each blame the other for the blast. Though it is too early to assess the long-term damage, officials are concerned about homelessness, crop failure, energy shortages and displaced landmines. At least three people have died, according to local media. β€” Economist Espresso, June 8, 2023

\n
\n

Been in place for 67 years, opening in 1956. Construction started in 1950, six years to build. Generated 1.4 TWh of electricity a year. Kakhovka Reservoir held 18.2 cubic kilometers of water, or 4,807,931,352,918 gallons

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-07T22:34:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/07/ukrainian-officials-estimated.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/23/another-example-of.html", "content_html": "

Another example of generated content fooling people. We are going to see a massive acceleration of this. We need to start signing content to have any hope of proving it is real.

\n
\n

A fake image showing an explosion near the Pentagon went viral on Twitter, triggering a brief dip in stockmarkets. The picture, which appears to have been generated by AI, was shared by several verified accounts on the social-media platform including one that falsely claimed to be associated with Bloomberg News. The image was probably tweeted first by an account promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory. β€” The Economist Espresso on May 23, 2023

\n
\n", "date_published": "2023-05-23T21:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/23/another-example-of.html", "tags": ["AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/20/zoltan-pozsar-credit.html", "content_html": "

Zoltan Pozsar (Credit Suisse) & Arthur Hayes (100x Group) on Nakamoto Stage at Bitcoin 2023 on β€œNew Monetary Order”.

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2023-05-20T15:15:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/20/zoltan-pozsar-credit.html", "tags": ["Travel","Crypto","Current Events","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/20/good-macro-session.html", "content_html": "

Good macro session “Steady Lads” at Bitcoin 2023 with Mark Moss, Lyn Alden, and Preston Posh.

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2023-05-20T15:11:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/20/good-macro-session.html", "tags": ["Travel","Crypto","Current Events","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/19/happy-vyshyvanka-day.html", "title": "Happy Vyshyvanka Day", "content_html": "

TeamSPS in Ukraine celebrated Vyshyvanka Day together.

\n
\n

Vyshyvanka Day is an international holiday that aims to preserve the Ukrainian folk traditions of creating and wearing ethnic embroidered clothes called vyshyvankas. It is celebrated the third Thursday of May. Vyshyvankas are, along with pysankas (traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs), one of the best known symbols of Ukrainian culture.

\n
\n

More pictures on Instagram. I’m going to find a Vyshyvanka of my own for next year. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2023-05-19T21:47:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/19/happy-vyshyvanka-day.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/05/thanks-to-an.html", "content_html": "

Thanks to an invite from Hector, I was able to join the Economic Club of Minnesota luncheon today with James Bullard, the President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in discussion with Neel Kashkari, President & CEO of the Minneapolis Fed.

\n

\"Two\"Two

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-05T20:25:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/05/thanks-to-an.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/01/a-thesis-ive.html", "content_html": "

A thesis I’ve pondered for years and won’t go away…

\n

The real “threat” to capitalism isn’t socialism or communism. The thing that may break capitalism is technology.

\n
\n

Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world. β€” Archimedes

\n
\n

Technology is leverage. Technology allows a small number of people to create immense output. The potential present in AI will allow new kinds of output that were never before possible, in some cases with no people at all. Technology has brought efficiency improvements for as long as it has existed, and we should assume that will continue.

\n

With so much leverage the labor market fails. There is no market to exchange your abilities for. There may be no buyer for human capacity. It isn’t a question of retraining if there isn’t anything to train to.

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-01T21:29:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/01/a-thesis-ive.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/04/12/attended-a-presentation.html", "content_html": "

Attended a presentation of the American Service (also see American Service in Ukraine) from Aswar Rahman. What they are doing to help Ukrainians that are trying to get to America and get established is very impressive! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦βž•πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

\n", "date_published": "2023-04-12T21:18:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/04/12/attended-a-presentation.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/03/11/from-the-economist.html", "content_html": "

From The Economist Espresso on March 11, 2023.

\n
\n

American regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank amid a run on the tech-focused lender. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control of SVB’s $175bn-worth of deposits and said insured depositors would have access to their money on Monday. America’s 16th-largest bank, having seen its deposits shrink during the VC winter, had failed to raise enough cash to stay afloat. The S&P 500 dipped by 1.5% on Friday to finish its worst week since September.

\n

* * *

\n

Signs of the stress at SVB were spilling over into other parts of the financial world late on Friday. The price of cryptocurrency USDC, a stablecoin which is pegged to the value of the dollar, fell to as low as $0.88. Circle, the payments company which manages USDC, confirmed that around $3.3bn of its $40bn in reserves was deposited with SVB.

\n
\n", "date_published": "2023-03-11T09:13:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/03/11/from-the-economist.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/03/06/poap-at-weekly-thing-ukraine.html", "content_html": "

POAP 6435177 at Weekly Thing Ukraine Fundraiser 2023.

\n\"Weekly\n", "date_published": "2023-03-06T14:46:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/03/06/poap-at-weekly-thing-ukraine.html", "tags": ["POAP","POAP Claims","Weekly Thing","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/25/i-minted-cat.html", "content_html": "

I minted Cat #2230 of the Ukraine Cats Division. This NFT project is raising funds to help Ukraine defend itself. I think I’ll mint a few more and get a Ukraine Cat Platoon going. πŸ˜ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Illustrated\n", "date_published": "2023-02-25T09:00:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/25/i-minted-cat.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/20/ukraine-stamps.html", "title": "Ukraine Stamps", "content_html": "

One of our team members from Ukraine was able to visit us here in Minneapolis for the first time since before the pandemic. The team sent three of the Ukrainian postage stamps as a gift. I have these safely stored away until I can get them framed. πŸ’™πŸ’›

\n

The events from left to right in the image are: Russian Warship on Snake Island, the Crimean Bridge blast, and “Kherson is Ukraine!”. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Three\n", "date_published": "2023-02-20T18:17:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/20/ukraine-stamps.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/08/minneapolis-downtown-council.html", "title": "Minneapolis Downtown Council Annual Meeting", "content_html": "

I was able to attend the Minneapolis Downtown Council Annual Meeting today. I believe this was the first back in the Armory since the 2020 meeting.

\n\"Hundreds\n

The outgoing chair Mike Ryan gave a good overview of the improtance of downtown and the council, and also welcomed the new chair Karin Lucas from SPS Commerce!

\n\"Man\n

SPS is the 10th largest employer downtown with 1,346 people!

\n

I enjoyed the session that Amelia Santaniello led with Steve Cramer, Greg Cunningham, and Mayor Jacob Frey. Frey got up at one point and gave a stump speech for Minneapolis which was great.

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2023-02-08T17:52:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/08/minneapolis-downtown-council.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/13/i-frequently-connect.html", "content_html": "

I frequently connect with a number of people in Ukraine. I was asking how the power situation was. I got a copy of their schedule. Weekday on the left. Empty box is normal, power on. Black is no power. Grey is maybe, we’ll see. From 4 to 6 hours of power a day.

\n\"Weekly\n", "date_published": "2022-12-13T21:29:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/13/i-frequently-connect.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/11/14/i-was-reminded.html", "content_html": "

I was reminded of The $1k Project for Ukraine today reading Fred Wilson’s blog. Connecting the dots with families in the Kherson region was the nudge I needed to move forward. Help is needed. If you are able please consider supporting a family. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ’™πŸ’›

\n\"Graphic\n", "date_published": "2022-11-14T22:00:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/11/14/i-was-reminded.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/11/04/the-oura-ring.html", "content_html": "

The Oura Ring detected I was sick before I did. This is what my 2nd round of COVID looked like as it started. It also noted elevated sleeping heart rate.

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2022-11-04T13:27:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/11/04/the-oura-ring.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/10/25/i-first-got.html", "content_html": "

I first got COVID 664 days into the pandemic, and 294 days later I tested positive today, twice. This time feels very different than last time. I’m hoping it passes quick. I’m also isolating from the family since everyone else is negative so far. 🀞😷

\n", "date_published": "2022-10-25T20:57:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/10/25/i-first-got.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/08/06/reykjavik-pride-is.html", "content_html": "

Reykjavik Pride is this weekend so we got to see the Pride Parade! Super fun, great event! Huge crowd with most joining the parade after the final float. πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

\n\"Reykjavik\n\"Pride\n\"Reykjavik\n\"Performer\n\"Diplomats\n\"People\n\"Rainbow\n\"Pride\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2022-08-06T10:17:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/08/06/reykjavik-pride-is.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events","Iceland 2022"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/05/05/poap-at-support-teamsps-ukraine.html", "content_html": "

POAP 4904521 at Support #TeamSPS Ukraine Employee Emergency Fund.

\n\"Circular\n", "date_published": "2022-05-05T12:04:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/05/05/poap-at-support-teamsps-ukraine.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","POAP","POAP Claims","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/05/01/it-is-heartwarming.html", "content_html": "

It is heartwarming to see homes in the Twin Cities supporting Ukraine. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ’™πŸ’›

\n\"Ukrainian\n", "date_published": "2022-05-01T22:20:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/05/01/it-is-heartwarming.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/04/23/support-ukraine-via.html", "title": "Support Ukraine via Nifty.Ink πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦", "content_html": "

I have wanted to create my own “ink” on Nifty.Ink and my artistic capabilities are pretty limited. My one talent is block lettering. I also want to keep doing things to support Ukraine, so let’s raise $1,000 to donate directly to Ukraine via crypto.

\n

I’ve minted 50 copies of Support Ukraine hand drawn by me, thingelstad.eth! You can even watch it being drawn by hitting the play button!

\n

Each copy is $10, and I will match that and contribute $20 to Ukraine. If we sell all 50 of these, we’ll raise $1,000!

\n

\"Colorful

\n

You get a cool NFT to keep, and we can do a little bit more to support Ukraine in their fight to keep their freedom! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n

Notes

\n
    \n
  1. Nifty.Ink runs on the Gnosis blockchain. You will need to connect to it via MetaMask and you will need xDai on Gnosis to purcahse.
    2. \n
  2. I’m gifting this image to some family members and others. For those, I will cover the full $20 donation.
    3. \n
  3. I will send the funds to Ukraine via a different blockchain, likely Solana. I will post the transaction here as proof when completed.
    4. \n
\n", "date_published": "2022-04-23T08:45:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/04/23/support-ukraine-via.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/04/11/powerful-performance-by.html", "content_html": "

Powerful performance by DakhaBrakha from Kyiv, Ukraine at The Dakota in Minneapolis tonight. πŸŽΆπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ Support Ukraine.

\n\"DakhaBrakha\n\"Ukrainian\n", "date_published": "2022-04-11T20:59:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/04/11/powerful-performance-by.html", "tags": ["Music","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/03/31/i-could-pass.html", "content_html": "

I could pass on any additional nasopharyngeal COVID tests.

\n", "date_published": "2022-03-31T16:48:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/03/31/i-could-pass.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/03/27/support-ukraine.html", "title": "Support Ukraine", "content_html": "

There are many organizations doing good work in Ukraine. I am going to maintain this list and update it as I find anything new.

\n

\"Ukraine

\n

The people of Ukraine need the worlds help as they struggle through the invasion of their country. Please consider helping with a financial donation to these causes. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n

Update (2023):
\nUnited24: This is the official fundraising platform for Ukraine and is a direct initiative from the President of Ukraine. This is probably the most robust and direct way to give donations of any size. There is a US non-profit that you can route the funds via, and you can select from one of five different areas to support.

\n

Donate

\n\n

Verticals

\n\n

Crypto

\n\n

Thank you! πŸ™

\n", "date_published": "2022-03-27T15:01:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/03/27/support-ukraine.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/03/26/market-value-up.html", "title": "Market Value up 12.4%", "content_html": "

Our city shared this update on the assessed market value of property.

\n
\n

2022 Assessment Report
\nThe 2022 Assessment Report is in. Edina’s total Estimated Market Value rose from $13.76 billion in 2021 to $15.45 billion in 2022. Overall, that’s a 12.4 percent growth in value from January 2021 to January 2022. Total percentage growth in 2022 exceeds total percentage growth for 2019, 2020 and 2021 combined.

\n
\n

That much growth in one year doesn’t make sense. Is the market catching up? Or getting ahead? Inflation?

\n", "date_published": "2022-03-26T08:01:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/03/26/market-value-up.html", "tags": ["Home","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/02/27/buildings-in-downtown.html", "content_html": "

Buildings in downtown Minneapolis lit up in Blue and Yellow for Ukraine. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

\n\"Downtown\n", "date_published": "2022-02-28T00:10:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/02/27/buildings-in-downtown.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/02/23/russia-attacking-ukraine.html", "content_html": "

Russia Attacking Ukraine tonight deeply saddens me. I have a wonderfully talented technology team of 100 people in Kyiv and we are trying to keep everyone safe.

\n

\"New\"Wall

\n", "date_published": "2022-02-24T00:09:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/02/23/russia-attacking-ukraine.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/02/19/given-the-state.html", "content_html": "

Given the state of US politics, wouldn’t now be an ideal time for the creation and launch of a new political party? The two β€œproducts” on offer seem to leave a wide space for a new entrant into the market. πŸ€”

\n", "date_published": "2022-02-19T08:35:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/02/19/given-the-state.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/22/adding-solana-sol.html", "content_html": "

Adding Solana (SOL) and Polygon (MATIC) tokens during this crypto market downturn. I’m very impressed with Solana and the solutions people are building on it. Polygon is doing very well as L2 for Ethereum.

\n", "date_published": "2022-01-22T10:02:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/22/adding-solana-sol.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/20/peloton-has-given.html", "content_html": "

Peloton has given back all of the pandemic gains experienced. Either $PTON was overvalued in Q1 2020, or it is oversold now. Still an exceptional product and service.

\n\"PTON\n", "date_published": "2022-01-20T18:18:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/20/peloton-has-given.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/07/the-omicron-variant.html", "content_html": "

The Omicron variant is spreading at an incredible rate. πŸ‘€ Via The New York Times (Jan 7, 2022).

\n

\"U.S.\"US

\n", "date_published": "2022-01-07T15:35:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/07/the-omicron-variant.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/04/days-into-the.html", "content_html": "

664 days into the COVID-19 pandemic and I got it. 😞 Two days after significant exposure. Fully vaccinated and boosted. Symptoms are congestion, low energy levels, tired. No coughing or headache. Taste and smell just fine.

\n\"BinaxNOW\n", "date_published": "2022-01-04T20:26:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/04/days-into-the.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/02/we-made-it.html", "content_html": "

We made it 662 days into the pandemic before having a confirmed COVID-19 exposure. We are all vaccinated and three of us are boosted. 🀞🦠

\n

Bummer for me that it happened the day before my birthday. 😬

\n", "date_published": "2022-01-02T16:03:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/02/we-made-it.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/02/new-reported-covid.html", "content_html": "

New reported Covid-19 cases via The New York Times. I wonder what this Omicron spike would like like without vaccines. The slope of that climb is incredible.

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2022-01-02T14:51:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/02/new-reported-covid.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/25/covid-christmas-is.html", "content_html": "

Covid Christmas is Complicated. πŸ˜¬πŸŽ„

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-25T11:52:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/25/covid-christmas-is.html", "tags": ["Holidays","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/24/christmas-eve-will.html", "content_html": "

Christmas Eve 2021 will now be known as The Night Before Covid Exposure Notifications. 😬

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-24T23:41:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/24/christmas-eve-will.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/18/a-new-study.html", "content_html": "
\n

A new study by researchers at Imperial College London found no evidence of a difference in severity between the Omicron variant of covid-19 and the Delta variant. The risk of reinfection, however, is 5.4 times higher. Previous infection or a two-dose vaccine regimen offer no more than 20% protection against symptomatic cases of Omicronβ€”but a booster from an mRNA jab can push this figure up to 55-80%. Omicron is quickly supplanting other strains: it now dominates in England, accounting for 54% of cases. Public-health agencies logged record infections on Fridayβ€”in Britain, New York state and β€” The Economist Espresso, Morning Briefing, December 18, 2021

\n
\n", "date_published": "2021-12-18T14:14:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/18/a-new-study.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/10/we-got-three.html", "content_html": "

We got three four independent COVID-19 exposure warnings from Washburn High School today. 😬

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-10T14:49:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/10/we-got-three.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/06/taking-an-athome.html", "content_html": "

Taking an at-home COVID-19 test during a break in a meeting while working from home. Very 2021… πŸ˜’

\n

Result: Negative.

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-06T14:58:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/06/taking-an-athome.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/02/got-my-pfizer.html", "content_html": "

Got my Pfizer booster dose tonight! I’m happy I was able to get it two weeks earlier than I was scheduled for. πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸ’‰

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-02T22:48:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/02/got-my-pfizer.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/02/nov-variant-identified.html", "content_html": "

Nov 11: Variant identified in Botswana.
\nNov 14: Identified in South Africa and Hong Kong.
\nNov 23: Designated name B.1.1.529.
\nNov 26: WHO Classifies Omicron.
\nDec 1: CDC confirms Omicron in the United States.
\nDec 2: MDH confirms Omicron in Minnesota.

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-02T11:14:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/02/nov-variant-identified.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/11/27/booked-my-appointment.html", "content_html": "

Booked my appointment for my Pfizer booster shot today. I was surprised that the earliest I could practically get in was three weeks from today. I guess the good news is a lot of people are getting vaccines! πŸ¦ πŸ’‰

\n", "date_published": "2021-11-27T22:26:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/11/27/booked-my-appointment.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/10/07/just-got-my.html", "content_html": "

Just got my flu shot! First time I’ve gotten one. The pandemic experience educated me on the importance of it. πŸ’‰

\n", "date_published": "2021-10-07T12:26:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/10/07/just-got-my.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/08/28/i-first-heard.html", "content_html": "

I first heard of Rivian via The Long Way Up. Their trucks look pretty amazing. The valuation seems crazy high, but this might be a good investment still.

\n
\n

Rivian, a California-based electric-vehicle startup, filed confidentially for a public listing, seeking a valuation between $70bn and $80bn. Among its planned offerings are a sport-utility vehicle and a pick-up truck. Like Tesla, it wants to bypass dealerships and sell directly to customers. Deliveries were meant to start in June but have been delayed due to the pandemic. β€” Economist Espresso, Saturday, August 28.

\n
\n", "date_published": "2021-08-28T13:28:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/08/28/i-first-heard.html", "tags": ["Current Events","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/08/10/updated-covid-graphs.html", "content_html": "

Updated COVID-19 graphs from today’s New York Times. The case count in Florida is pretty stunning. Minnesota is doing well. The best news is the continued low death rate.

\n\"Line\n\"Line\n\"US\n\"US\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2021-08-10T20:03:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/08/10/updated-covid-graphs.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/07/20/notes-from-pantera.html", "title": "Notes from Pantera Blockchain Call", "content_html": "

Companies highlighted:

\n\n

Notes:

\n\n", "date_published": "2021-07-20T17:09:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/07/20/notes-from-pantera.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/06/24/crypto-allocation-june.html", "title": "Crypto Allocation (June 2021)", "content_html": "

Time for another Crypto Allocation update. The last two months have seen a huge draw down in all crypto markets. Here is NYDIG Market Update on June 23, 2021 to put it into context.

\n
\n

The current market drawdown, the peak to trough decline, currently ranks as one of bitcoin’s toughest periods. The current decline of 55.6% is the fifth most severe, following big rallies and subsequent drawdowns in 2011, 2013 (which had two), and 2017.

\n
\n

So needless to say all crypto assets are down substantially in that period. Here is how my allocation looks as of today, with notes below. I’ve added some footnotes. Tokens that have no notes are ones that I have made an active decision to hold some invested amount in. Others are either included in my basket, or are tokens I hold for some utility.

\n\"Horizontal\n

* Indicates tokens that Coinbase makes a market in with a $10B market cap.
\n** Indicates a token that does not meet one of my criteria, meaning it is either less than $10B in market cap or is not traded on Coinbase, however I have purchased it for some other purpose.

\n

Notes:

\n\n

Also see April 2021 and March 2021 allocations, and my approach to crypto.

\n", "date_published": "2021-06-24T22:05:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/06/24/crypto-allocation-june.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/06/21/random-forecasts.html", "title": "Random Forecasts", "content_html": "

We all try to predict the future. Particularly in business, sports, finance, etc. I like to recall a story that Larry Kramer, CEO of MarketWatch, shared with me a long time ago.

\n

Larry had spent a lot of time in finance, but before that had a deep background in sports. Sports betting is a huge industry and people try to prove that they have the edge in picking the winner of any game. So, anyone that can prove that they are a good picker will get attention, or be able to sell their upcoming predictions. Larry shared one of the strategies that he had seen many times.

\n
    \n
  1. Take a large group of people, let’s say 10,000. Send half of them a message that Team A will win the game this weekend. Send the other have a message that Team B will win the game this weekend.
    2. \n
  2. Whichever team wins, send a message to that group that you were right. Send no further messages to the group you got wrong.
    3. \n
  3. Repeat.
    4. \n
\n

At the end of three cycles you have 1,250 people that have seen you perfectly predict the last three games. You must be a genius! Will they pay you to get your prediction for the next game? You must have an edge.

\n

So what is the lesson? When someone seems like a fantastic forecaster, make sure you aren’t just one of the people in that third set of people!

\n", "date_published": "2021-06-21T21:42:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/06/21/random-forecasts.html", "tags": ["Sports","MarketWatch","Weather","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/06/19/family-supply-chain.html", "content_html": "

Family supply chain overload as demand has dropped precipitously.

\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2021-06-19T12:40:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/06/19/family-supply-chain.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/13/crypto-markets-and.html", "title": "Crypto Markets and Kids Soccer", "content_html": "

On Wednesday May 12 at 5:06pm CT Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla would no longer accept Bitcoin to buy cars. The company also has $1.5B of Bitcoin on their balance sheet, reported $300M of which they’ve sold. Musks message is about the carbon footprint of Bitcoin. Odd since this isn’t new information.

\n

Tesla & Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/YSswJmVZhP

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2021
\n\n\n\n

Anyway, my commentary is not about Musk’s position but the market reaction. Immediately, as one would expect, Bitcoin dropped 10%.

\n

BTC
\n\"Bitcoin

\n

Now lets talk about kids soccer. Any parent that has watched their kids play soccer knows what it looks like. There is a big group of kids chasing the ball around with no tactics or strategy. Ball is over there, run and get it.

\n

The crypto market was all kids soccer with this. Filecoin, which has nothing in common with the Bitcoin news dropped nearly the same, with a slight time lag.

\n

FIL
\n\"Price

\n

Then Cardano drops the same too. Cardano however is a massively more efficient blockchain. The fundamental argument doesn’t apply. They even told that story.

\n

ADA
\n\"ADA

\n

The point here is that these markets and investors are still treating all of these assets as a single thing. Only Ethereum in recent months has broken out and moves materially on its own. I put this in my approach, but I think it is really important. You need some mental model of the utility for each of these assets. That utility should drive how you value them, and how you differently value them.

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-13T21:39:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/13/crypto-markets-and.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/08/ethereum-is-up.html", "content_html": "

Ethereum is up 32% in the last week, over 11% in just the last 24 hours! Hard to say what is driving it up, but it has definitely diverged significantly from Bitcoin.

\n\"Ethereum\n", "date_published": "2021-05-08T16:44:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/08/ethereum-is-up.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/04/ten-richest-men.html", "title": "Ten Richest Men, Thirteen Divorces", "content_html": "

It seems completely predictable that Elon Musk and Larry Ellison would represent over 50% of all the divorces amongst the 10 richest men.

\n

The world's 10 richest men have had 13 total divorces. pic.twitter.com/fIQwJjvUdJ

— Edwin Dorsey (@StockJabber) May 4, 2021
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-05-04T19:46:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/04/ten-richest-men.html", "tags": ["Tweets","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/20/chauvin-trial-concludes.html", "title": "Chauvin Trial Concludes", "content_html": "

Just under a year ago George Floyd was murdered in police custody under the knee of Derek Chauvin. Today our whole family gathered around as news of a verdict announcement in the murder trial was made just a day after jury deliberation started. We all watched history as a guilty verdict was announced on each of the three charges.

\n

This isn’t the end, but is an important step as our community reckons with racism. I found myself on the verge of tears at the announcement, relieved of some anxiety and hopeful about our ability to learn, get better, and move forward.

\n

I’ve went back to my thoughts on Floyd’s killing and I am so appreciative of the conversations and learning that has occurred. With that said, I’ve also gained a better appreciation for how much work there is to be done.

\n

I think it is time that the city memorialize George Floyd Square, as a tribute to what will be an inflection point toward a better community for all Minnesotans.

\n

\"Star\"New

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-20T19:11:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/20/chauvin-trial-concludes.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/20/i-got-my.html", "content_html": "

I got my second shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine this morning! πŸ’‰πŸ’‰β³

\n

Many people I know have not felt well after the second dose so I’m feeling hypochondria a bit. Hoping for the best! 🀞

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-20T10:14:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/20/i-got-my.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/18/crypto-allocation-april.html", "title": "Crypto Allocation (April 2021)", "content_html": "

I’ve been building out my approach to crypto. I shared my allocation in March and updated it this weekend.

\n

Notes:

\n\n

I’m sharing this as my own notes for any value they may have to others.

\n\"Horizontal\n

The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the content as such. This website does not recommend that any cryptocurrency should be bought, sold, or held by you. Conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-18T22:15:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/18/crypto-allocation-april.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/16/i-like-the.html", "title": "Emoji Vaccine Status", "content_html": "

I like the idea of using Emoji to indicate status. Fun!

\n

Okay, looks like we're doing this. If you also want to participate, change your Twitter profile name like:

Name πŸ’‰β³
Name πŸ’‰πŸ’‰β³
Name πŸ’‰πŸ’‰πŸŽ‰
Name πŸ’‰πŸŽ‰

(Where πŸŽ‰ means your post-final shot waiting period is over and ⏳ means you're waiting for either 2nd shot or freedom) https://t.co/5gEebRhUMp

— Brad Fitzpatrick 🌻 (@bradfitz) April 16, 2021
\n\n\n\n

Related: Cocktail Emoji Triples.

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-16T13:16:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/16/i-like-the.html", "tags": ["Tweets","Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/16/from-todays-economist.html", "content_html": "

From today’s Economist Espresso:

\n
\n

Pfizer’s chief executive said that people everywhere are likely to need a third dose of covid-19 vaccine within 12 months, with annual boosters for the foreseeable future to keep abreast of viral variants. His remarks, made on April 1st, were disclosed yesterday. The White House said that America is already preparing for the need to administer booster shots.

\n
\n

Covid-19 isn’t going to β€˜go away’. I fully expect we’ll be getting annual vaccinations for several years. With science and knowledge we will be able to manage it.

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-16T06:41:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/16/from-todays-economist.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/31/sharing-my-current.html", "content_html": "

Sharing my current allocation of crypto investments. Skin in the game.

\n\"Horizontal\n

The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the content as such. This website does not recommend that any cryptocurrency should be bought, sold, or held by you. Conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

\n", "date_published": "2021-03-31T18:39:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/31/sharing-my-current.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/30/i-got-my.html", "content_html": "

I got my first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine this morning!

\n

I had to reflect on the timeline. First case of COVID-19 on December 31 2019 in Wuhan, China. January 21 2020 we had first case in US. On March 11 2020 the WHO declared a Global Pandemic.

\n

384 days after the Pandemic declaration, on March 30 2021, I got my first shot of vaccine at MHealth Fairview Clinic in Bloomington, MN.

\n

Thank you to all the Doctors, Scientists, Researchers, and Civil Servants that made this a reality! πŸ‘

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2021-03-30T10:05:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/30/i-got-my.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/28/i-get-my.html", "content_html": "

I get my first vaccine shot on Tuesday! 🀩

\n

From the Vikings training facility to local churches, our vaccine roll-out is leading the nation with more than 40,000 shots administered each day. #MNSOTS

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) March 28, 2021
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-03-28T22:10:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/28/i-get-my.html", "tags": ["Tweets","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/24/container-ship-queue.html", "title": "Container Ship Queue", "content_html": "

Having the Ever Given, a massive container ship, stuck in the Suez Canal and halting all normal activity through the canal is a familiar problem to any technologist that has dealt with queue problems. Look at the real-time vessel map and all the ships stuck waiting. 🚒

\n

They normally pass 50 ships a day through the canal. With so many backed up, it will be a few days before things get back to normal. 😬

\n\"Map\n\"Marine\n

These pictures tell the story well.

\n", "date_published": "2021-03-24T21:31:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/24/container-ship-queue.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/18/from-todays-economist.html", "content_html": "

From today’s Economist Espresso:

\n
\n

Coinbase, America’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, was valued at $68bn ahead of its planned stockmarket listing. Its previous round of fundraising in 2018 put a value of $8bn on the company. It has surged thanks to this year’s bitcoin rally. A successful public listing would be an important moment for the cryptocurrency sector, which regulators have viewed with scepticism.

\n
\n

$60 billion in market value in 3 years. An IPO for Coinbase would be a huge additional validator for the crypto markets.

\n", "date_published": "2021-03-18T06:49:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/18/from-todays-economist.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/15/from-todays-economist.html", "content_html": "

From today’s Economist Espresso:

\n
\n

The valuation of Stripe reached $95bn in its latest funding round, the highest of any privately held startup in America, and more than either Facebook or Uber before they went public. The online payments processor raised $600m of new equity from investors including Allianz, AXA, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity and Sequoia Capital.

\n
\n

I think Stripe is a great company and one I would love to invest in. Rather than getting into the public markets, the upside potential here will be locked in even longer to only those limited VC’s and those with access. 🀨

\n", "date_published": "2021-03-15T20:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/15/from-todays-economist.html", "tags": ["Tech Community","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/03/08/recognizing-international-womens.html", "content_html": "

Recognizing International Women’s Day 2021 and Choosing to Challenge! We will advocate for and support the women in our lives. #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021

\n\"Four\n

See IWD 2024, 2021, 2020, 2020 @ SPS, and 2018.

\n", "date_published": "2021-03-08T21:51:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/08/recognizing-international-womens.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/02/20/approaching-cryptocurrencies.html", "title": "Approaching Crypto", "content_html": "

I’ve recently clarified my thinking on Bitcoin and related crypto. To be transparent, I’ve followed this for years and had plenty of opportunities to buy BTC for a few hundred dollars. It’s now over $50,000 a coin. So, based on that, you may want to stop reading now. 😊

\n

Focusing on 3+ year horizon / Investing

\n

First, I’m not looking to become an active trader. That isn’t my game. So I’m going to look at all crypto investments with a 3+ year horizon. I have a long view that crypto is real and will be a component of corporate and personal balance sheets over the next decade. How large of an element? More than it is now!

\n

Only $10B instruments / Limit Risk

\n

I’m only considering crypto that has a total market cap over $10B for at least 30 days. I’m also only considering crypto I can trade on Coinbase. Setting a value threshold limits the noise and distraction. I am sure there is positive activity below $10B, but I’m choosing to ignore that for now. Based on that limit Bitcoin (BTC) at $1.1T, Ethereum (ETH) at $233B, Litecoin (LTC) at $16.2B, Chainlink (LINK) at $15B, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) at $13.8B, and Stellar Lumens (XLM) at $11.8B are the only things I’m watching. (Market caps as of Feb 20 2021 7:00 AM CT.)

\n

Any crypto over $10B in value is worth a nominal investment and puts it on the radar to consider more broadly.

\n

The one exception I am making to that limit is stablecoin. I don’t know what to think of stablecoin, and I am tracking USD Coin (USDC) to learn more.

\n

Develop a Model / Diversify

\n

Crypto are very different, with different objectives. You can treat them as a basket for broad crypto investment and a bet on decentralized financial systems. But that is where it ends. I think you should develop a model for each one and why it is applicable for investment. My current thinking is:

\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
CryptoValue
BTCStored value. I think of it as gold.
ETHA bet on a different compute model.
LINKA bet on smart contracts.
LTCMoney in your wallet. You might buy a coffee with LTC.
BCHBitcoin version of LTC. Same thesis.
XLMFinancial backend and potentially an alternative to systems like SWIFT.
USDCQuestion mark for me right now.
\n

Overall Allocation / Portfolio

\n

Crypto is super volatile and risky. I like Ray Dalio’s comment.

\n
\n

Bitcoin looks like a long-duration option on a highly unknown future that I could put an amount of money in that I wouldn’t mind losing about 80% of.

\n
\n

So with that in mind, this shouldn’t be your retirement fund!

\n

I’ve watched this for too long from the sidelines and have not participated other than some small dollars for fun. My brother-in-law Hector made a comment that resonated with me. With a handful of public companies now holding BTC on their balance sheet, others will follow suit. I’ve also had many people approach me about using BTC as a hedge on inflation.

\n

The net of all this is that crypto has moved from experimental to maturing and I expect we will see a multi-year increase in demand.

\n

I haven’t talked about the technology behind it all. I’m entirely confident in that component, and I use Coinbase to manage my wallet for me.

\n

The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the content as such. This website does not recommend that any cryptocurrency should be bought, sold, or held by you. Conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

\n", "date_published": "2021-02-20T09:09:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/02/20/approaching-cryptocurrencies.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/02/18/watching-perseverance-land.html", "content_html": "

Watching Perseverance land on Mars today was another amazing example of engineering and discovery being done at amazing levels. Perseverance has a drone on board! How cool is that! Congratulations to the team that made this a reality today!

\n

\"JPL\"NASA\"NASA\"NASA\"NASA\"NASA\"NASA\"NASA

\n", "date_published": "2021-02-18T23:18:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/02/18/watching-perseverance-land.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/02/17/covid-maps-on.html", "content_html": "

COVID-19 Maps on Feb 17, 2021 via New York Times.

\n

\"US\"US

\n", "date_published": "2021-02-17T22:00:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/02/17/covid-maps-on.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/02/17/covid-update-on.html", "content_html": "

COVID-19 Update on Feb 17, 2021 via New York Times.

\n

\"Bar\"Bar\"Line

\n", "date_published": "2021-02-17T21:59:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/02/17/covid-update-on.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/01/18/as-part-of.html", "content_html": "

As part of our Martin Luther King day we all watched Selma tonight. It is a powerful movie and a stark reminder of how recent the events of the civil rights movement are. The portrayal of Dr. King is wonderful as well.

\n\"Movie\n", "date_published": "2021-01-18T23:47:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/01/18/as-part-of.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/01/18/dr-martin-luther.html", "title": "2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast", "content_html": "

I was able to attend the 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast this morning. It was a great way to reflect on the messages of King as part of the holiday.

\n\"Event\n

I was impressed that this was the 31st year of this event. General Mills took some incredible leadership in making this event happen, and in bringing diversity and equity to their organization. It was also great to see the fabulous work of the UNCF highlighted.

\n", "date_published": "2021-01-18T12:12:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/01/18/dr-martin-luther.html", "tags": ["Tech Community","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/01/07/this-seems-like.html", "content_html": "

This seems like a moment in time worth noting. The founder of Facebook and one of the richest people in the world (also holding special shares of stock that makes him unaccountable) just banned the President of the United States from the biggest social platform in the world, with very good reason. These are very odd times.

\n\"Mark\n", "date_published": "2021-01-07T22:59:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/01/07/this-seems-like.html", "tags": ["Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/12/13/from-ny-times.html", "content_html": "

From NY Times Dec 13 2020.

\n

\"Bar\"Bar\"Bar

\n", "date_published": "2020-12-13T22:52:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/12/13/from-ny-times.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/12/08/pandemic-date-night.html", "title": "Pandemic Date Night", "content_html": "

Like many Tammy and I haven’t had a β€œtypical” date night during the pandemic. Restaurants are take out only. Movie theaters are closed, and would be a pretty bad idea with Covid. But we were thinking how the Tesla has Netflix and Hulu so we decided to have a Pandemic Date Night in the car! We got takeout from Lake & Irving, one of our favorite places.

\n\"Tesla\n

Then we went to Lake Bde Maka Ska, parked along the parkway, and watched Hunt for the Wilder People on Netflix in the car. It was a fun change of pace, and a really good movie.

\n\"Movie\n

When Tesla added Entertainment options like Netflix and Hulu I thought that would be possibly interesting when waiting for someone. But hadn’t ever thought we’d watch a whole movie. 🍿 Also, running the heater, seat heaters, and entertainment system for the whole movie used about 10% battery. Also, the audio is really good. The surround sound was very immersive. I think we may do this again. πŸ‘

\n", "date_published": "2020-12-08T23:10:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/12/08/pandemic-date-night.html", "tags": ["Movies","Family","Current Events","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/28/the-data-in.html", "content_html": "

The data in this graph is pretty amazing. From Why we are underestimating Zoom & it’s impact?.

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2020-11-28T14:14:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/28/the-data-in.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/13/charts-via-the.html", "content_html": "

Charts via The COVID Tracking Project.

\n

Record growth in COVID-19 spread. Hospitals are full. So far deaths have not increased as much because the amazing medical profession has learned a lot in the field. However, when hospitals are full will we lose that benefit?

\n\"Bar\n\"Bar\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2020-11-13T20:38:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/13/charts-via-the.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/10/covid-new-cases.html", "content_html": "

Covid-19 new cases by day setting records.

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2020-11-10T23:54:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/10/covid-new-cases.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/07/i-am-very.html", "content_html": "

I am very proud that we have elected our first ever Woman Vice-President, Kamala Harris. I learned a bit as well from her wearing a β€œSuffrage White” suit, and connecting back to the 100 year anniversary of the 19th Ammendment. πŸ‘

\n", "date_published": "2020-11-07T23:07:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/07/i-am-very.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/07/election-days.html", "content_html": "

Election +4 days.

\n\"New\n", "date_published": "2020-11-07T16:42:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/07/election-days.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/04/coronavirus-nov-via.html", "content_html": "

Coronavirus Nov. 4, 2020 via New York Times

\n\"Bubble\n", "date_published": "2020-11-04T23:11:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/04/coronavirus-nov-via.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/04/pm-on-the.html", "content_html": "

2:03pm on the day after the 2020 Election.

\n\"New\n", "date_published": "2020-11-04T15:03:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/04/pm-on-the.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/04/am-on-the.html", "content_html": "

5:49am on the day after the 2020 Election.

\n\"New\n", "date_published": "2020-11-04T06:49:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/04/am-on-the.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/02/taking-inventory.html", "title": "Taking Inventory", "content_html": "

Let’s take an inventory for a moment.

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    We are now eight months into the pandemic and it is weighing heavily on people. Here in the midwest it feels very different than it did in Spring. It is all around us. Most people know someone or several people that have had Covid-19. I have a lot of relatives in North Dakota and I’m hearing multiple reports of people in very small towns in rural North Dakota getting Covid-19. It is front and center in more peoples lives. It is everywhere. This is no longer something happening only in big urban locations. People are tired of it, and there is no end in sight. Looking for that light at the end of the tunnel is very difficult.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    We are seeing businesses close all around us. We know people that have lost their jobs. I’m getting pleas on a daily basis from organizations that are trying to help those that are struggling. Trying to get food to families that have lost their income. A lot of people are hurting, and it is hard to know where to start.

    \n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    The systemic racism that was made visible by the murder of George Floyd has focused us on improving and determining how to reduce this systemic bias. This is emotionally difficult work. It’s incredibly important work too. It requires us to dig deep and ask ourselves challenging questions. Introspecting in the face of so much uncertainty is challenging.

    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    I’m writing this on the eve of the US Election which has been positioned in the most apocalyptic terms possible. People are anxious, worried, scared. Sadly I feel this is very engineered and intentional. Making people scared and amplifying the stakes are great ways to get people to take action, but it simultaneously is toxic to us. I suspect there are a lot of people that cannot get the election off of their mind, and it is going to impact their relationships, their work, and their emotional balance.

    \n
    5. \n
  5. \n

    The first four things are all individually hard, but layering them all on top of each other is a level I personally have never even considered. While dealing with all of that, we are staring at our phones, endlessly scrolling social networks, and never disconnecting from an infinite rage cycle. Great for Facebook’s advertising revenue, corrosive and damaging to our psyche. Or we are ignoring the real world and forgetting our troubles in a saccharine stream of cat pictures. That may help for a minute, but it doesn’t make any meaningful improvement to your emotional situation.

    \n
    6. \n
\n

So how are we doing? Not well. People are anxious and worried. Just last week I was in the office and came down to my car to a scene I had never experienced. In the first level of our parking ramp were two men standing by a line of cars screaming at each other. They were yelling about politics. Not a disagreement amongst coworkers, but a full on screaming match. I was worried it was going to escalate to a full on fight, but one of them yelled a final declaration and marched off before that happened. The background stress that causes people to boil over is so high.

\n

At the same time, we also deserve to give ourselves some grace and applaud our adaptation. We are experiencing an extreme amount of change and disruption. While we may be anxious, we are successfully putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. One day at a time as they say. Those non-profits and their repeated pleas for help, are getting that help. It’s time for us to double down on civics, and minimize the politics. It’s time for us to bring the empathy to those that have lost friends and family to this pandemic. We need to focus on main street and not be placated by Wall Street. We need to continue to have difficult conversations on race and bias. And we are…

\n

It’s a good time to take inventory. Take time to assess where we all are individually, as families, in our communities, with our coworkers and teams. It’s not weak to be honest with where you are. Find a friend and have a chat on the phone. We all need to help each other out as we work through challenges, through these tests.

\n", "date_published": "2020-11-02T22:46:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/02/taking-inventory.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/21/with-a-team.html", "content_html": "

With a team in Kyiv I’ve been keeping an eye on COVID-19 cases in Ukraine. Infection rates have been growing steadily since mid-summer.

\n\"Map\n", "date_published": "2020-10-21T19:17:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/21/with-a-team.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/17/of-voters-already.html", "content_html": "

41% of voters already completed voting seems high for the middle of October. I wish this had a comparison to previous years.

\n
\n

As of Oct 15, 68 percent of Edina residents have applied for an absentee ballot and of this total, 60 percent have returned their ballot or, 41 percent of registered voters. - Edina Friday Report for Oct 16, 2020

\n
\n", "date_published": "2020-10-17T05:36:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/17/of-voters-already.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/15/the-autumn-wave.html", "content_html": "
\n

The autumn wave of the coronavirus has reached a dangerous new stage. The number of new daily cases has risen almost 50 percent in the U.S. over the past month. The situation is even worse in Europe.

\n

For the first time since late March, the per capita number of new cases in Europe exceeds the number in the U.S.

\n
\n\"Line\n

The New York Times, Morning Brief, October 15, 2020.

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-15T21:25:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/15/the-autumn-wave.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/11/facebook-and-twitter.html", "title": "Facebook and Twitter Have Lost Control", "content_html": "

From recent actions I think that we must conclude that Facebook and Twitter have now explicitly acknowledged that their platforms are being used in ways they do not understand, are not able to manage, and without a doubt have an impact in elections. To most people this has been obvious for years, but they have hid behind many excuses to try and avoid any accountability. These two headlines are two days apart.

\n

Oct 7: Facebook Widens Ban on Political Ads as Alarm Rises Over Election
\nOct 9: Twitter Will Turn Off Some Features to Fight Election Misinformation

\n

Both of these companies are finally admitting that they are not able to fix the problem here. They have built platforms that others have weaponized, and they are unable to fix it. I think it is important to highlight here that I think Kara Swisher has it right when she emphasizes that people are not abusing these platforms, they are using them exactly as they were intended to be used. Nobody has been hacked. These systems were built to surveil their users, catalog their interests, and then alter your intentions in the direction of an advertiser. The part nobody seems to have considered is that while some people want to sell you toothpaste, others may want to sell you a destabilized government or some deep state conspiracy theory.

\n

The real question here is can they be fixed? If the flaw isn’t an abuse, but is instead an intended use, what is there to fix?

\n

I am happy to see that we’ve finally left the realm of these for profit companies cloaking themselves in First Amendment rights and disavowing that they have any impact in something like an election. (Funny isn’t it that they certainly would be clear that they can get you to buy a different toothpaste though. Those T-Rex arms in full effect.)

\n

I’m in the camp that for Facebook I don’t think there is a fix. I think there is a fatal component in their design and at the scale they are today it cannot be undone. Twitter on the hand I do think could be fixed. Make all accounts cost $5 or $10 a month. At that price bots go away. Get rid of the active users metric that makes them magically inept at finding bot accounts. Get rid of retweets without an additional comment. And clean up the dark corners filled with hate, racism and sexist garbage. Mostly Twitter is small enough that it could still be fixed, and the core user base is addicted enough that they would pay and if 90% of of the garbage accounts went away none of the core users would know anyway.

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-11T21:14:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/11/facebook-and-twitter.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/07/mississippi-river-lowered.html", "title": "Mississippi River Lowered", "content_html": "

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has lowered the Mississippi River by 12 feet to inspect locks and dams. We went tonight to see what it looked like with the water so much lower. Much of the Stone Arch Bridge is completely out of water. There were a lot of people mingling around.

\n

The view from above showed a lot of riverbed in the main part of the river, and you could see a bunch of people out in the dry areas.

\n

\"_R1A1474.jpeg\"

\n

\"_R1A1482.jpeg\"

\n

We went down to the water following some paths on the North end of the Stone Arch Bridge.

\n

\"_R1A1496.jpeg\"

\n

\"_R1A1498.jpeg\"

\n

\"_R1A1514.jpeg\"

\n

We were there as the sun set. It was a pretty fun sight to see.

\n

\"_R1A1518.jpeg\"

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-07T20:19:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/07/mississippi-river-lowered.html", "tags": ["Outdoors","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/05/government-websites-should.html", "title": "Government Websites Should be Surveillance Free", "content_html": "

Excuse me while I vent for a moment. Today I tried to visit the State of Minnesota COVID-19 resource page. I wanted to see what the State of Minnesota had shared recently. However, when I visited the page it was blank. Just a white page.

\n

I run multiple layers of software to block surveillance software on the web. It amazes me that this software blocks about 30% of all requests that my browser attempts to make, and by and large websites I visit are unaffected. Just think about that for a second. 30% of all web activity that my browser goes to offers no value to me, but is instead surveilling me for various other activities.

\n

Back to the State of Minnesota though, unfortunately their site breaks entirely if you block this surveillance. I tested it and if I paused blocking it worked, enabled blocking and it was a blank white screen again.

\n\"Safari\n

This burns me up because this is my government resource that I want to access, and I do not think that my government should force me to be surveilled by private companies in order to access resources I want as a citizen of my state. I feel the same way when government services are only available via social networks. There should be no circumstance where I should have to submit to surveillance in order to get access to government information.

\n

So, what is all this amazing stuff that the State of Minnesota wants to watch me with? Let’s take a look.

\n

First, we have Google Tag Manager which is Google’s bundled thing to put nearly anything into a website. Google is all over the web and follows us nearly everywhere I go. I especially dislike the idea of Google seeing what resources I’m looking at from government services. That could lead to some terrible profiling activities. Plus, Google has nothing to do with Minnesota and I don’t see why I need to send my data to a company in California to get information from Minnesota.

\n
Registrant Organization: Google LLC\nRegistrant State/Province: CA\nRegistrant Country: US
\n

Next we have SiteImprove! Now we aren’t just getting another state involved but an entire separate country. It turns out that a company in Denmark is also needed to get me my COVID-19 information from Minnesota.

\n
Registrant Organization: Siteimprove AS\nRegistrant State/Province: \nRegistrant Country: DK
\n

Okay, deep breaths. Now we add cdn.perfdrive.com, which I’ve never heard of. They don’t seem to have an easily available website. Their domain registration is hidden behind a legal proxy, so I have no means to identify who this company is that is getting my data.

\n

Then we have something called btstatic.com. The domain’s whois information shows some entity in Chicago, IL but then an administrative contact in the United Kingdom. With Denmark already in the mix we have a full global action here for me to talk to my State Government.

\n
Registrant Organisation: Signal Digital, Inc.\nRegistrant Street: 222 N. LaSalle St.\nRegistrant Street: Suite 1600\nRegistrant City: Chicago\nRegistrant State/Province: IL\nRegistrant Postal Code: 60601\nRegistrant Country: US\n\nAdmin Organisation: Safenames Ltd\nAdmin Street: Safenames House, Sunrise Parkway\nAdmin Street: Linford Wood\nAdmin City: Milton Keynes\nAdmin State/Province: Bucks\nAdmin Postal Code: MK14 6LS\nAdmin Country: UK
\n

Rounding out the fun we also have two additional California companies that are getting my data too. Apparently we are optimizing via optimizely.com and amplifying via amplitude.com! Ugh.

\n
Registrant Organization: Optimizely\nRegistrant State/Province: California\nRegistrant Country: US\n\nAdmin Organization: Amplitude\nAdmin State/Province: CA\nAdmin Country: US
\n

So to recap, in order for me to get COVID-19 information from the State of Minnesota I need to give my data to three companies in California, one in Denmark, one in Chicago or the UK, and a final one that I have no legal way of identifying.

\n

It should be a requirement that government resources on the web are available without surveillance. Citizens should not be forced to send there data all over the globe to get something that is essential to the services expected.

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-05T21:48:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/05/government-websites-should.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/02/voted.html", "content_html": "

Voted! βœ…

\n

I prefer voting by mail. We get the kids involved. We can do research on the smaller down ballot elections and make more informed decisions. It is much more relaxing and allows the electorate to be more informed. I will be delivering the package by hand to the city office.

\n\"Official\n", "date_published": "2020-10-02T19:09:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/02/voted.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/02/it-took-months.html", "content_html": "

It took 6 months for COVID-19 to go from the March lockdowns to the White House. COVID-19 is still less than one year old!

\n

Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus

\n\"New\n

Related, from two days ago, Study Finds β€˜Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump.

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-02T06:48:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/02/it-took-months.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/02/washington-post.html", "content_html": "

The covid-19 recession is the most unequal in modern U.S. history.

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2020-10-02T03:31:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/02/washington-post.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/18/saddened-to-hear.html", "content_html": "

Saddened to hear of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has been a historic justice on the Supreme Court. She gave everything to the movements she believed in, and our country. πŸ˜’πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

\n", "date_published": "2020-09-18T22:59:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/18/saddened-to-hear.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/16/many-thanks-to.html", "title": "Slalom Presents: Realizing Racial Equity", "content_html": "

Many thanks to Slalom Consulting for their Slalom Presents: Realizing Racial Equality program. Hearing the more complete story from Ruby Bridges in her school desegregation experience, Dr. Condoleezza Rice and her views on race and education, and a musical closing from Leon Bridges was a good backgrounder on the work we are pursuing to address racism in our society.

\n\"Event\n", "date_published": "2020-09-16T17:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/16/many-thanks-to.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/15/last-night-as.html", "content_html": "

Last night as we were getting ready to go to sleep I noticed that a helicopter had been circling overhead for a while. It was circling large swaths around Highway 62 and France Ave, just a few blocks from our house. Tammy found out via NextDoor what as up, and we quickly heard what turned out to be a mugging attempt that turned into a shooting at Fairview Southdale. We later learned the victim survived despite a gunshot to the head, but the suspect fled on foot and was “at large”. The helicopter was searching. The police asked everyone to leave their exterior lights on which we did. They didn’t catch the suspect, and still haven’t.

\n

EDINA: CONFIRMED SHOOTING outside Southdale Medical Center, 6545 France Ave. S. - A male victim was shot in the head while in the west ramp, on the 2nd level. The hospital is in lockdown and several roads around the hospital have been shut down. pic.twitter.com/SkseYZKHrw

— MN CRIME (@MN_CRIME) September 15, 2020
\n\n\n\n

Links to local news coverage:

\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-15T20:29:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/15/last-night-as.html", "tags": ["Tweets","Home","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/14/two-second-test.html", "title": "Two Second Test", "content_html": "

I spent a lot of my career in media and publishing on the web. During that time one of the things that I came to appreciate more completely was the unique journalistic voice that news organizations have. Being responsible for the websites of a number of these sites, I felt it was absolutely critical that whatever Content Management Systems (CMS for those in the business) and other publishing systems we had must allow the journalists to express that unique voice to the reader, via the website. To this end I coined something that I called the Two Second Test.

\n

The Two Second Test is simple. You should be able to show any person the front page of a news website for just two seconds and they should be able to have a feel for what is happening at that moment. Is there big news? Did something great just happen? Something bad? You should be able to intuit it from just those two seconds.

\n

I was reminded of this concept recently when Larry Kramer shared How 9/11 looked on a newly created Internet on that day. His article includes pictures of two framed screen grabs of the MarketWatch page from that day.

\n

I looked at those in Two Seconds you knew something big was happening.

\n

This might seem easy, but the vast majority of news websites even today fail this test. Pick your favorite sites and go to them, look for two seconds, and see what you know. Ask yourself if you know anything? Mostly you don’t.

\n

Most organizations fail this test because of the constraints of their content management system. In order to make their sites work, they have dozens of templates, and they flow articles and blurbs from their CMS into various templates. They change the template for what is going on in the world, but they are always working in a template.

\n

In order to pass the Two Second Test you have to give your newsroom a canvas to work on, not a color-by-numbers template. Along with that power comes risk. The newsroom could put something on the site that has a technical flaw of some sort. Having a strong operational connection between the newsroom and the technology team limits that risk though.

\n", "date_published": "2020-09-14T18:40:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/14/two-second-test.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/08/first-day-of.html", "title": "First Day of School", "content_html": "

Today was the first day of school. First day of school during a pandemic. First day of school via distance learning.

\n

We still kept tradition. I made chocolate chip pancakes and fresh whipped cream for breakfast. We went out front for all the traditional first day of school photos.

\n

But then things were different. Instead of going off to school, we went back in the house.

\n

Mazie and Tyler each have a space setup to attend school. We made sure they were ready. Last minute I realized they needed extension cords. Then I went upstairs to my office and got to work. They all connected via Google Classrooms for their classes. And we were off!

\n

Tammy helped with anything that wasn’t working. Both kids had a good first day. Mazie had one teacher that couldn’t figure out some technical issues. Tyler’s class seemed to go really smooth. They both were uploading videos they took to Flipgrid to share with their classes.

\n

Overall I would say first day of school via distance learning was a success!

\n\"Chocolate\n", "date_published": "2020-09-08T22:41:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/08/first-day-of.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/01/martinas-new-patio.html", "title": "Martina’s New Patio", "content_html": "

Tonight Tammy and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in town, Martina. We were excited to see their new outdoor patio space. Patios have gone from being a nice summer option to one of the most important things a restaurant can have during the pandemic.

\n

The space is amazing. It is well designed with different levels, trees, and lighting. It is one of our favorite patios in town now. The drinks and food were amazing as always.

\n

The distancing precautions and changes to their processes were also very well done to minimize risks.

\n

The Panqueque dessert is still amazing, and perfect to share for two. 🍌🀀

\n

\"Two\"Two\"Crepe

\n", "date_published": "2020-09-01T23:32:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/01/martinas-new-patio.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/08/12/this-graph-speaks.html", "content_html": "

This graph speaks volumes about the impact to society from the pandemic.

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2020-08-12T17:21:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/08/12/this-graph-speaks.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/08/09/coronavirus-maps-via.html", "content_html": "

Coronavirus maps via the New York Times.

\n\"Bubble\n\"Choropleth\n", "date_published": "2020-08-09T08:09:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/08/09/coronavirus-maps-via.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/08/07/httpsbscmfurbanplanetcomresbsguidanceenglishpdf.html", "content_html": "

Minneapolis Public Schools phased approach to managing COVID-19.

\n\"Minneapolis\n", "date_published": "2020-08-07T08:24:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/08/07/httpsbscmfurbanplanetcomresbsguidanceenglishpdf.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/26/facial-recognition-doesnt.html", "content_html": "

Facial recognition doesn’t stand a chance with my pandemic vacation wear.

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2020-07-26T14:52:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/26/facial-recognition-doesnt.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events","Yellowstone 2020"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/15/coronavirus-spread-via.html", "content_html": "

Coronavirus spread via New York Times Morning Briefing.

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2020-07-15T18:13:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/15/coronavirus-spread-via.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/12/watched-american-experience.html", "content_html": "

Watched American Experience: Fatal Flood this evening. I didn’t know the history of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and the terrible racist actions around it. Just 93 years ago…

\n\"Black\n", "date_published": "2020-07-12T22:36:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/12/watched-american-experience.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/08/jim-crow-of.html", "title": "Jim Crow of the North", "content_html": "

Tammy and I watched Minnesota Experience: Jim Crow of the North tonight. It was incredibly eye opening to one form of systemic racism that I have been surrounded by for over two decades and was not aware of.

\n

\"Jim

\n

Racist real estate covenants were pervasive in Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. In fact, the last house that we lived in on Morgan Avenue includes one.

\n
\n

no person or persons other than of the white race shall be permitted to occupy said premises or any part thereof

\n
\n

You can see the relatively small enclave of these racist covenants right off of Minnehaha Creek. Then a huge grid of them further south.

\n

\"Racist

\n

I was curious about our current home on the East side of Pamela Park in Edina. Somewhat surprisingly, none of the properties on the East have covenants, but the Western side of Pamela Park is littered with them.

\n

\"Racist

\n

If you are curious you can spend some time exploring yourself at Mapping Prejudice. Kevin Ehrman-Solberg, one of the co-founders of the project, also did a TEDx Minneapolis talk on these racist covenants.

\n

I’m left with the data that 75% of White families in Minneapolis own their own homes, and only 25% of Black families own their home. The generations of wealth built and restricted from so many families has massive impact still today.

\n", "date_published": "2020-07-08T22:15:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/08/jim-crow-of.html", "tags": ["Home","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/28/the-southwest-dogleg.html", "content_html": "

The southwest dogleg of Cannon Lake is already extremely weedy with a lot of floating algae. The boat lanes look like roads. With July and August still ahead of us, this could be a pretty bad year for algae.

\n\"Aerial\n", "date_published": "2020-06-28T07:36:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/28/the-southwest-dogleg.html", "tags": ["Cabin","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/28/email-from-our.html", "content_html": "

Email from our daughters high school:

\n
\n

β€œDue to budget cuts, the number of counselors serving Washburn students has shrunk from 5 to 3. Though our enrollment will once again be approximately 1650 students…”

\n
\n

We are in an incredibly anxious time. Many families are destabilized due to the pandemic and record unemployment. Add to that the tough work that we need to do on racism. Reducing counselors by 40% in the midst of that feels short-sighted.

\n

Budgets are what they are, but hopefully these kids are going to find some support in their communities and families too, as many will need it.

\n", "date_published": "2020-06-28T06:57:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/28/email-from-our.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/24/this-is-bad.html", "content_html": "

This is bad. There are states safely reopening. Others should be following their lead. 😷

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2020-06-24T23:14:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/24/this-is-bad.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/23/tammy-and-i.html", "content_html": "

Tammy and I had dinner on the patio at Italian Eatery tonight. It was the first time we ate at a restaurant since March 15th! I surprised myself by how excited I was to be out somewhere! Super Tuscan red wine, Shaved Root Salad, and Baked Garganelli with Meatballs. 🀀

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2020-06-23T22:47:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/23/tammy-and-i.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/09/today-was-my.html", "content_html": "

Today was my first day in the office in 85 days. It is very quiet! Devices updated, password changed, and other things that were easier to do on office network done.

\n\"Smiling\n", "date_published": "2020-06-09T16:01:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/09/today-was-my.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/04/george-floyds-memorial.html", "content_html": "

George Floyd’s memorial service was today and broadcast live. Tammy and I watched the entire service. Our daughter also joined us for it. It was moving and very powerful. One quote that struck me:

\n

“What we are doing is helping America be America for all Americans!”

\n\"Mural\n

Photo by Lorie Shaull.

\n", "date_published": "2020-06-04T19:32:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/04/george-floyds-memorial.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/03/refusing-to-amplify.html", "title": "Refusing to Amplify is not Censorship", "content_html": "

Recently Twitter made the decision to tag some of President Trump’s tweets as incorrect and limit distribution of them. Facebook decided the same content was fine. I’m going to skip over the actual decision here for a moment, and address the matter of calling this censorship. These platforms are not censoring, they are deciding to not amplify, and there is a big difference.

\n

YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are all for-profit public companies. They have as much obligation to carry your message as the Mall of America has to allow you to protest inside of it, which is none. Their Terms of Service are controlled by them and they can do whatever they want, including change their Terms of Service. But these companies are not the only ways to publish content on the Internet. Their refusal to do anything with your content is not censorship!

\n

You have every right to create your own website, and put those messages on it. The Internet is wide open for that, and it costs very little to nothing. There is nothing keeping those millions of people on Facebook from getting your message on your site. It’s just laziness on all sides to want to put it all through these platforms. To be spoon fed and manipulated by algorithmic newsfeeds. But that laziness comes with a tradeoff of control. You cannot, and should not, expect to control that message. Probably the control of your message will drive with whatever makes the most money for the platform. It is absolutely not driven by importance, or truth, or value.

\n

Many social platforms have tried to position themselves as “the commons” and talk about things like Freedom of Speech. This is all a bunch of nonsense, and frankly it has tied them in knots that make no sense for private companies to solve. If you want to get your message out, own your site, publish it. It has never been easier to do that. Need an audience? Earn it. Build it.

\n

Nobody, not you, me, or anyone else have a right to amplification, and none of us is being censored.

\n", "date_published": "2020-06-03T17:20:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/03/refusing-to-amplify.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/06/03/thoughts-on-recent.html", "title": "Thoughts on Recent Events", "content_html": "

Last week George Floyd was killed in a sequence of events that never would have happened to a white person. This has erupted the community here in Minneapolis, the rest of the United States, and around the globe! I’ve struggled to come up with the words to speak to the racial challenges that we are confronting. I find it difficult to express the sadness, anxiety, fear, and a little bit of hope for change that I feel. I also recognize that silence is a form of speech too, and there is an implicit endorsement of the status quo in silence. I want to see change. I want to help make that change happen. Sparing more elegant writing, let me share these fragments.

\n\n

I know that to make progress as a person, and as a member of my community, I need to go through the process. Acknowledging is the first step, and yes, I acknowledge the intense racial divide in our country. The events of the last few days have seared that deeper into my understanding than ever before. I need to seek to build understanding, create empathy, and know where to take action and focus efforts. I want to jump to that last part, taking action, but I cannot short circuit the process.

\n", "date_published": "2020-06-03T14:47:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/06/03/thoughts-on-recent.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/31/dragon-docking-with.html", "title": "Dragon docking with the International Space Station", "content_html": "

Watching the Dragon capsule slowly approaching the International Space Station. The space station was launched in 1998. The technology on it is 21 years old, but the C2V2 system was updated in 2016, designed for arrivals like the one happening today. The level of detailed and long-term planning required to make all this happen is just amazing.

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-31T08:43:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/31/dragon-docking-with.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/30/an-amazing-milestone.html", "content_html": "

An amazing milestone with Falcon 9 successfully launching two astronauts on the way to the International Space Station! πŸš€πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έβ€οΈ

\n\"Samsung\n", "date_published": "2020-05-30T14:41:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/30/an-amazing-milestone.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/30/every-time-the.html", "content_html": "

Every time the NASA and SpaceX commentators refer to Bob and Doug, the astronauts flying today, I can’t help but think of the other Bob and Doug.

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2020-05-30T14:06:54-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/30/every-time-the.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/28/tammy-unlocked-a.html", "content_html": "

Tammy unlocked a perfect pandemic evening for us last night. First, get a bottle of a beverage of choice. We had a bottle of Moscato d’Asti. Second, place a to go order at Station Pizzeria. Get your pizza at the scheduled time, and park in Burwell Park about a block away. Enjoy said beverage with your pizza along the shore of Minnehaha Creek, the sound of rushing water in the background. Afterward, walk back where you were and get dessert at the Dairy Queen and have a casual stroll back to the park with your ice cream.

\n

5 stars! Would do again!

\n\"Family\n", "date_published": "2020-05-28T06:41:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/28/tammy-unlocked-a.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/22/another-visit-to.html", "content_html": "

Another visit to the Backyard Pandemic Barbershop! Learned tonight that the leaf blower works really well to get the hair off of you at the end. πŸ’ˆ

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2020-05-22T19:28:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/22/another-visit-to.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/22/minnesota-state-fair.html", "content_html": "

Minnesota State Fair is officially cancelled for 2020 due to Covid-19. That seemed like the only possible outcome, but feels notable nonetheless.

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-22T12:35:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/22/minnesota-state-fair.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/20/who-do-i.html", "content_html": "

Who do I want to be during Covid-19?

\n\"Concentric\n

From Post Corona: The Cosmic Opportunity.

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-20T10:33:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/20/who-do-i.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/14/economic-club-of.html", "title": "Economic Club of Minnesota β€œOur Economy and Health in Crisis”", "content_html": "

I was able to attend the Economic Club of Minnesota’s webinar today on “Our Economy and Health in Crisis”. My brother-in-law Hector Fernandez pointed me to some of their earlier events. It was moderated by Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation, and Neel Kashkari, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota were the two panelists. I recommend watching.

\n
\n \n
\n\n

Their perspective was sobering.

\n\n

I didn’t take thorough notes throughout. I became pretty absorbed with the content itself.

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-14T21:21:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/14/economic-club-of.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/14/all-data-that.html", "content_html": "

All data that I have read points to this pandemic lasting for a long time.

\n

β€œThe World Health Organisation warned that it might take five years to bring covid-19 under control and that the virus may never be fully eliminated. It could become endemic, albeit manageable, in the way that, eg, HIV is. Meanwhile an eagerly awaited study suggested that only 5% of 2m people tested in Spain have been infected; nowhere near herd immunity.” β€” Economist Espresso for May 14th, 2020

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-14T14:53:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/14/all-data-that.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/11/the-average-number.html", "content_html": "

β€œThe average number of passengers on a commercial flight within the U.S. right now: just 23. Every day, the airline industry is losing almost $400 million.” β€” NY Times Monday Briefing

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-11T11:35:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/11/the-average-number.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/08/unemployment.html", "content_html": "

Unemployment from pandemic.

\n\"Line\n\"Line\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2020-05-08T15:14:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/08/unemployment.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/01/pandemic-backyard-barbershop.html", "content_html": "

Pandemic backyard barbershop tonight. Tammy did the honors. Number 1 plus. High and tight. USMC certified. Semper Fi! πŸ’ˆ

\n

\"Man\"Man

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-01T18:48:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/01/pandemic-backyard-barbershop.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/21/wife-is-on.html", "content_html": "

Tammy is on FaceTime call with sister.

\n

Mazie is on Zoom call with Piano teacher.

\n

Tyler is on FaceTime call with friend while playing Minecraft together online.

\n

Thank you broadband!

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-21T19:04:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/21/wife-is-on.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/17/just-realized-that.html", "content_html": "

Just realized that other than taking Lucky for walks, I haven’t left the house since Sunday afternoon. 😬

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-17T19:25:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/17/just-realized-that.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/17/family-selfie-wearing.html", "content_html": "

Family selfie wearing our custom masks with swappable HEPA filters made by my Mom! 😷🧡

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2020-04-17T16:38:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/17/family-selfie-wearing.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/16/unemployment-claims.html", "content_html": "

22,034,000 unemployment claims. The orange highlight is data, not the edge of the image.

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2020-04-16T16:48:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/16/unemployment-claims.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/11/warsaw-businesss-customer.html", "title": "Warsaw Business's Customer Appreciation Parade", "content_html": "

What can a small township in Minnesota do to bring some cheer to people during the Pandemic lockdown? A parade! Minus the throwing candy part of course. Thanks to these Warsaw, MN businesses: Americas Mattress - Dundas, BFB Solutions, Channel Inn, D&L Real Estate, DGC, Doc’s Dock Campground, Simple Strategies, Rick & Mary Tonjum, The Upper East Side, and Witte Bros!

\n

\"Two\"Yellow\"Green\"Silver

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-11T13:54:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/11/warsaw-businesss-customer.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/08/getting-delicious-takeout.html", "content_html": "

Getting delicious takeout empanadas from Boludo tonight. They seem to be thriving with a ton of business. Great to see! πŸ₯ŸπŸ€˜

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-08T18:03:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/08/getting-delicious-takeout.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/05/inspiring-state-of.html", "content_html": "

Inspiring State of the State from Gov. Tim Walz tonight. Thank you. #StayHomeMN #OneMinnesota

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-05T19:14:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/05/inspiring-state-of.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/02/gtd-practitioners-what.html", "content_html": "

GTD practitioners, what project names have you created as we have fallen into this pandemic? I’ll start, one called β€œGrow through the pandemic”. You?

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-02T23:19:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/02/gtd-practitioners-what.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/01/with-apologies-to.html", "content_html": "

With apologies to my regular barber Gene, I still need to keep it high & tight! Mazie and Tyler did the clipper honors today! πŸ’ˆ

\n

\"Child\"Teenage

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-01T17:31:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/01/with-apologies-to.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/31/my-friend-mrock.html", "content_html": "

My friend Mike Rock has picked up posting on his micro.blog (and Twitter by syndication). If your curious to see and here a bit from a Dr. perspective with Covid-19, give him a follow. Plus expect some great non-medical stuff too.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-31T21:50:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/31/my-friend-mrock.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/22/getting-takeout-from.html", "content_html": "

Getting takeout from Tap Society! Delicious cheeseburgers and we need to support our local businesses! πŸ”πŸ”πŸ”

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2020-03-22T17:20:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/22/getting-takeout-from.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/21/i-was-able.html", "title": "Acts of Goodness", "content_html": "

I was able to spend some time this morning with my good friend Michael Rock on FaceTime over coffee. Mike is an emergency physician on the front-line of the pandemic and also oversees clinical physician operations at a number of hospitals. I was very curious to see how his world was being impacted by Covid-19. Amongst all the very real challenges that you read about, he shared some snippets of caring with me that touched me greatly.

\n\n

These are the kinds of stories we need to hear in times like this. People focused on helping those around them.

\n

As we were talking he shared some areas where technology experts may be able to help by using digital tools instead of protective equipment to provide service. We all should seek out areas that we can help those around us in the coming weeks and months.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-21T15:33:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/21/i-was-able.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/21/rapid-transitions-edina.html", "title": "Rapid Transitions: Edina Liquor", "content_html": "

This sales data is remarkable. From our municipal liquor store…

\n
\n

Edina Liquor
\nThe three Edina Liquor stores were closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. We moved all sales to our online portal and home delivery service. On Wednesday, we generated $8,300 in revenue. For perspective, that is $403.00 more than an average Wednesday operating with three retail locations during the same time frame. We ended the day on Wednesday with close to 200 online orders and over $20,000 in revenue – again, in line with an average Wednesday with three open stores. Based on our sales data over the past 10 days, if we maintain the current delivery volume through the month of March, Edina Liquor will exceed our growth target of 3.5 percent year over year and essentially be unharmed by this closure.

\n
\n

Local transformations are going to happen at a blinding pace as we go through the Covid-19 pandemic.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-21T08:10:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/21/rapid-transitions-edina.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/17/donated-to-greater.html", "content_html": "

Donated to Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery. Organizations like this are going to need to help a lot of people soon. Think about where you might be able to help in your community.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-17T16:52:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/17/donated-to-greater.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/15/we-just-did.html", "content_html": "

We just did our first Family Fitness Challenge while we are staying inside more. Daily challenge for pushups, sit-ups, and plank! #FitByFifty

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-15T19:49:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/15/we-just-did.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Family","Current Events","Fit by Fifty"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/14/in-this-time.html", "content_html": "

In this time of Covid-19 it would be a good gesture for Xfinity, AT&T, and other broadband and wireless carriers to remove data transmission caps on customers.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-14T18:21:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/14/in-this-time.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/13/im-surprised-the.html", "content_html": "

I’m surprised the NY Times isn’t making an animated version of their Coronavirus maps available that shows the progression.

\n\"US\n", "date_published": "2020-03-13T20:25:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/13/im-surprised-the.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/13/currently-noticing-every.html", "content_html": "

Currently noticing every single cough in the Orlando airport. 😷

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-13T12:51:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/13/currently-noticing-every.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/12/impressive-progress-in.html", "content_html": "

Impressive progress in Minneapolis development shared at the Minneapolis Downtown Council Annual Meeting! Mayor Jacob Frey, Karin Lucas (go #TeamSPS), and Steve Cramer amongst the speakers hosted by Amelia Santaniello!

\n\"Man\n\"Woman\n\"Man\n\"Woman\n", "date_published": "2020-02-12T15:32:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/12/impressive-progress-in.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/12/grateful-to-be.html", "content_html": "

Grateful to be able to partake in the Annual Meeting of the Minneapolis Downtown Council!

\n\"Large\n\"Minneapolis\n", "date_published": "2020-02-12T13:13:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/12/grateful-to-be.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/12/21/i-greatly-enjoyed.html", "content_html": "

I greatly enjoyed the European Christmas Market in St. Paul! I even bought two of the Herrnhut Stars that are in the picture.

\n\"Crowd\n", "date_published": "2019-12-22T00:23:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/12/21/i-greatly-enjoyed.html", "tags": ["Holidays","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/09/14/dan-hons-article.html", "content_html": "

Dan Hon’s article on this Audi Concept Car video is a great read (see section 1.1). πŸ‘

\n", "date_published": "2019-09-14T10:42:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/09/14/dan-hons-article.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/11/06/i-voted-remember.html", "content_html": "

I Voted! βœ…πŸ˜Ž Remember to vote today!

\n\"Orange\n", "date_published": "2018-11-06T08:54:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/11/06/i-voted-remember.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/29/we-need-a.html", "content_html": "

We need a movement to ban cable news from waiting areas. 🚫

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-29T10:13:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/29/we-need-a.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/06/27/i-contributed-to.html", "content_html": "

I contributed to RAICES Bond Fund to help reunite immigrant children separated from their families after listening to this podcast on responding to the immigration crisis. They’ve raised over $20M and still going.

\n", "date_published": "2018-06-26T21:15:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/06/26/i-contributed-to.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/22/happy-earth-dayhttpswwwearthdayorg.html", "content_html": "

Happy Earth Day everyone! 🌏

\n", "date_published": "2018-04-22T12:17:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/22/happy-earth-dayhttpswwwearthdayorg.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/24/shredding-paper-like.html", "content_html": "

Shredding paper like I work in the White House. 🀣

\n", "date_published": "2018-03-23T19:38:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/23/shredding-paper-like.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/21/backordered-the-better.html", "content_html": "

Backordered the better Marlon Bundo book. Made me chuckle that it’s on back order.

\n", "date_published": "2018-03-20T22:02:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/20/backordered-the-better.html", "tags": ["Books","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/06/visiting-midnight-bazaar.html", "content_html": "

Visiting Midnight Bazaar in Hyderabad.

\n

\"Outdoor\"Crowded\"Crowded

\n", "date_published": "2018-03-06T08:27:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/06/visiting-midnight-bazaar.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events","India 2018"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/10/24/bitcoin-price-for.html", "content_html": "

Bitcoin price for last month. Bananas. πŸŒπŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ

\n\"Bitcoin\n", "date_published": "2017-10-23T19:56:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/10/23/bitcoin-price-for.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/08/05/bought-a-trivial.html", "content_html": "

Bought a trivial amount of Bitcoin and Ethereum. If previous patterns repeat, the price should drop precipitously now. 😊

\n", "date_published": "2017-08-05T16:55:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/08/05/bought-a-trivial.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/16/woman-shot-by.html", "content_html": "

Woman shot by Minneapolis police last night less than a mile from our house. 😟

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-16T15:14:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/16/woman-shot-by.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/05/25/cool-to-see.html", "content_html": "

Cool to see the Star Tribune’s immense globe back in their lobby for the 150 year celebration.

\n\n", "date_published": "2017-05-25T14:09:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/05/25/cool-to-see.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/05/09/go-and-express.html", "content_html": "

GoFCCYourself.com ← Go and express your support for strong net neutrality. Use this link and click on “express” link.

\n", "date_published": "2017-05-08T21:46:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/05/09/go-and-express.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/04/22/walked-minnehaha-creek.html", "content_html": "

Walked Minnehaha Creek by our house picking up trash for Earth Day. 🌏

\n\"Woman\n", "date_published": "2017-04-22T15:02:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/04/22/walked-minnehaha-creek.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/10/10/main-thing-iearned.html", "content_html": "

Main thing Iearned watching the debate tonight: they still make disposable film cameras!

\n", "date_published": "2016-10-09T21:43:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/10/09/main-thing-iearned.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/16/wow-never-do.html", "content_html": "

Wow. Never do a Twitter search related to politics. Frightening.

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-15T19:38:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/15/wow-never-do.html", "tags": ["Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/05/spotlight.html", "title": "Spotlight", "content_html": "

Tammy and I saw Spotlight last night, part of our watching each Academy Award Best Picture nominee. I was blown away. It was a fabulous movie and I can see why it won the award. It also highlights the critical role of journalism in our society, the kind of journalism that is happening less and less. The movie does a great job of showing how this massive scandal was being covered up. It’s also interesting to watch the movie while this issue continues to reverberate through the Catholic church. The story isn’t done being written yet.

\n

Tammy asked me if I would give Best Picture to Spotlight or The Big Short, which I thought was fabulous. I would have given it to Spotlight but it was interesting to consider. I thought they were both fabulous movies with amazing acting, great cinematography and incredibly gripping. I felt like the edge went to Spotlight for the somewhat silly reason that it is “more serious”.

\n

\"Spotlight\"

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-05T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/05/spotlight.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/21/092709.html", "content_html": "

Two urgent care visits in one vacation is a new record. (First Tyler, now me!)

\n

Positive for strep throat.

\n

Says a lot about Disney World that even Impetigo and Strep Throat can’t take the magic away! πŸ˜ŠπŸ‘πŸ»

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-21T09:27:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/21/092709.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/18/sent-hires-photo.html", "content_html": "
    \n
  1. Sent hi-res photo of Infection to Dr.
    2. \n
  2. Reply with likely diagnosis. #easy
    3. \n
  3. Rx required
    4. \n
  4. 3hr urgent care visit.
    5. \n
  5. Get medicine.
    6. \n
\n

Next time can I skip step 4 please? Health care needs tech overhaul.

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-17T21:32:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/17/sent-hires-photo.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/17/seems-like-every.html", "content_html": "

Seems like every long vacation we take involves one of the kids making a (non-critical) visit to urgent care.

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-17T18:01:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/17/seems-like-every.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/07/27/034132.html", "content_html": "

Excited to finally be reading Amusing Ourselves to Death!

\n\"Book\n", "date_published": "2015-07-26T22:41:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/07/26/034132.html", "tags": ["Books","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/07/02/disappointed-in-my.html", "content_html": "

Disappointed in my city council that they are being so shortsighted on Major League Soccer in Minneapolis.

\n

MLS soccer stadium saga continues. St. Paul now in the hunt. Will Minneapolis get serious and make a subsidies deal? http://t.co/sMPaS0e7DC

— Scott Gillespie (@sgillespieMN) July 2, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-07-02T11:52:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/07/02/disappointed-in-my.html", "tags": ["Sports","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/24/cool-little-python.html", "content_html": "

Prophet ← Cool little Python module for doing financial modeling.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-23T23:19:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/23/cool-little-python.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/05/just-calculated-the.html", "content_html": "

Just calculated the first presidential elections our kids will be able to vote in. Feel instantly old, in the future.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-04T22:01:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/04/just-calculated-the.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/04/i-voted.html", "title": "I Voted 2014!", "content_html": "

Doing my part for democracy! πŸ‘

\n\"Round\n", "date_published": "2014-11-04T08:41:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/04/i-voted.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/04/didnt-realize-i.html", "content_html": "

Didn’t realize I get to vote on removing mandatory food requirements for wine sales tomorrow. Looking forward to that one!

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-03T23:38:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/03/didnt-realize-i.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/07/06/mayday-did-it.html", "title": "Mayday Did It!", "content_html": "

I’m very happy to be one of the over fifty-thousand backers of Mayday PAC.

\n\"Collage\n", "date_published": "2014-07-06T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/07/06/mayday-did-it.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/23/this-screwed-up.html", "content_html": "

This screwed up my drive last night. Was curious. β†’ 3rd Ave Bridge over I-94 dedicated to former Mayor Belton

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-23T08:36:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/23/this-screwed-up.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/07/24/dont-ruin-the.html", "title": "Don't Ruin the Past with Reality", "content_html": "

I really enjoyed this article and photo for The 40-Year-Old Photo That Gives Us A Reason To Smile. Great story behind the photo, and it’s a wonderful photo itself of these five kids just smiling and being kids.

\n
\n

The slice of life he caught that day was a picture of five young\nfriends in a rain-washed alley in downtown Mount Clemens. And what\ndistinguishes it are its subjects: three black children, two white\nones, giggling in each others’ arms.

\n
\n

Great story, great image. Photography does this, it stops time. It allows us to reflect and see things from a different perspective. Then, towards the end of the article is this:

\n
\n

Between Facebook and the newspaper, he has solid leads on where the\nchildren are today.

\n
\n

Leave it to us to screw up something that’s been great for 40 years. How about we don’t find these children today. How about we just leave that moment 40 years ago as it was, and reflect on it for what it is then and now. How about we not do the followup 5 articles on each one of these kids and how their life has turned out. It isn’t relevant nor does it add any value to the image.

\n

Let it be, it’s better that way.

\n", "date_published": "2013-07-24T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/07/24/dont-ruin-the.html", "tags": ["Photography","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/07/19/195413.html", "content_html": "

Very impressed with TradingView. If I were to build BigCharts.com again today, I would like to think it would be what they did.

\n", "date_published": "2013-07-19T14:54:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/07/19/195413.html", "tags": ["BigCharts","Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/09/happy-with-todays.html", "content_html": "

Happy with today’s #mnmarriage vote!

\n", "date_published": "2013-05-09T17:32:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/09/happy-with-todays.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/01/congrats-marcfrons-well.html", "content_html": "

Congrats Marc Frons! Well done!

\n
\n

@rajivpant: BtoB Business Media selects @MarcFrons among Top Innovators!

\n
\n", "date_published": "2013-05-01T11:28:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/01/congrats-marcfrons-well.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/18/as-you-reflect.html", "content_html": "

As you reflect on the gun bill vote yesterday, it’s worth watching Larry Lessig’s TED talk β€œWe the People”.

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-18T06:53:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/18/as-you-reflect.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/15/explosion-at-bostonmarathon.html", "content_html": "

Explosion at Boston Marathon. Know only that Jim Bernard is fine.

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-15T14:01:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/15/explosion-at-bostonmarathon.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/04/25/211812.html", "content_html": "

My FSA needs a Doctors Note to pay an expense that was incurred at a Doctors office?

\n

All I can see in these FSA claim push backs are people getting bonuses on underpaying claims. Cynical, but I suspect true.

\n", "date_published": "2012-04-25T21:18:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/04/25/211812.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/01/20/sopa-scrapbook.html", "title": "SOPA Scrapbook", "content_html": "

I participated in the SOPA blackout on January 18th. All of my personal websites went dark at 8:00am CT and returned at 8:00pm CT. I served 6,235 STOP SOPA notices. My handful of sites were just a drop in the big ocean of over 115,000 sites that went dark. It really felt historic. I took notice of the first time that so much of the Internet banded together to make something happen, and did it happen. Just two days after the blackout the bills have lost major supporters and are going back to committee.

\n

It felt like something momentous. A punctuation mark in the big timeline of the Internet. I decided to grab some screenshots and make a little scrapbook of the day.

\n

My Sites

\n

Here is what thingelstad.com looked like on SOPA blackout day.

\n\"Screenshot\n

Tammy also participated, blacking out Smaller Than A Redwood.

\n\"Screenshot\n

And so did Mazie. I explained to her that we were blacking out our websites in protest of a proposed law. She asked what protest meant and I explained it to her. She didn’t have a strong opinion about SOPA, but felt it was right to go along with her Mom and Dad.

\n\"Dark\n

Same Template

\n

The awesome template I used to black my sites out was developed by Zach Johnson. He had an amazing SOPA blackout story with so many websites using his template. Here is what his website looked like. He increased the font size slightly on his site.

\n\"Screenshot\n

His template got picked up by a lot of sites, including Greenpeace.

\n\"Greenpeace\n

Net.Freedom

\n

I was happy to see sites and services that I care about, and in some cases donate to, supporting the blackout. Wikipedia was the largest site on the Internet to go completely dark. I thought it was a great touch that you could still get to the Wikipedia page for the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) though.

\n\"Wikipedia\n

I’m a big fan of Semantic MediaWiki, which is a suite of extensions for MediaWiki, the software behind Wikipedia. The team behind that project followed the lead of Wikipedia and also went dark. I liked their message and display.

\n\"Screenshot\n

WordPress is a strong supporter of an open and free Internet and they made WordPress.org completely dark.

\n\"WordPress.org\n

It was cool that Automattic also took action with WordPress.com and did a very creative blackout of just content.

\n\"WordPress.com\n

I’m a supporter of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and they censored their logo and used their site to share information on their opposition to SOPA.

\n\"Electronic\n

I’m also a supporter of Creative Commons and they put a black banner on top of their site.

\n\"Creative\n

Publishers

\n

A variety of publishers took part on the blackout. Ars Technica had a good banner with content regarding SOPA. Although I thought the banner ad on top was tacky and a bit tone deaf to the point of the protest.

\n\"Ars\n

O’Reilly did a very nice job with it’s blackout and a strong message an simple design.

\n\"O'Reilly\n

Wired did a very cool blackout using the censoring of words and then changing it as you moved around on the page.

\n\"Wired.com\n

One of the best web comics did an awesome blackout. This is what xkcd did.

\n\"xkcd\n

And The Oatmeal also did an amazing blackout. This one had an animated GIF that went on for a while about why he took issue with SOPA and involved Oprah on a jet ski in only the way the Oatmeal could.

\n\"TheOatmeal.com\n

I Can Has Cheezburger had a nicely done call to action.

\n\"Cheezburger\n

Disappointing but predictably, my former colleagues at the Wall Street Journal came out in favor of SOPA.

\n

Big Sites

\n

I was curious what Google would do. The censored logo was striking, and to many folks that weren’t plugged into what was going on I think it was a strong message.

\n\"Google\n

Flickr did a very creative blackout allowing people on Flickr to blackout any photos on Flickr they wanted to. I blacked out one of my photos.

\n\"Flickr\n

Mozilla, the organization behind the open source Firefox web browser, participated in the blackout.

\n\"Mozilla\n

Reddit was one of the first big websites to say they would participate in the blackout. They had a great mix of content and call to action.

\n\"Reddit\n

Criagslist participated in the most boring HTML display possible, totally fitting Craigslist.

\n\"Craigslist\n

BoingBoing did a nice blackout and I thought it was cool that they actually showed the HTTP status code.

\n\"Boing\n

Minecraft, a game played by 4.7 million people, went dark for the day.

\n\"Minecraft.net\n

Facebook didn’t do anything that impressive, which was a bit disappointing. They could have blacked out their logo like Google. However, Mark Zuckerberg did at least post a comment on Facebook regarding SOPA.

\n\"Facebook\n

More Protests

\n

I’m a customer of Pinboard, a paid bookmarking utility. He didn’t blackout, and I was happy they didn’t since I pay for the service and use it daily. There was a call to action on the top of the site.

\n\"Pinboard\n

I was happy to see my congressman Keith Ellison participating in the blackout.

\n\"Screenshot\n

Dave Winer blogs at Scripting.com and had really debated if he was going to black out. He did, and in fact just totally blacked out with nothing on his site.

\n\"Safari\n

Archive.org went dark as well.

\n\"Internet\n

Going White

\n

TheDailyWTF decided to be different and go white.

\n\"Screenshot\n

FARK also went white. I don’t know much about FARK other than they “fark’d"Road Sign Math once.

\n\"Fark.com\n

ZanHabits also went white, in a very zen way.

\n\"zenhabits.net\n

Tin Ear

\n

Sadly, not all Internet leaders participated. Even though Bing has this big image format on their website that would have easily led to something interesting, even just a black image. But instead it just looked as it always does.

\n\"Bing\n

Yahoo was even worse, sporting football news and advertisements. Completely ignoring such a historic event.

\n\"Yahoo\n", "date_published": "2012-01-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/01/20/sopa-scrapbook.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/01/17/participating-in-sopa.html", "title": "Participating in SOPA Blackout", "content_html": "

I just added these crontab entries

\n
0 8 18 1 * /srv/www/maint/sopa/deploy-sopa.sh\n0 20 18 1 * /srv/www/maint/sopa/remove-sopa.sh\n

On January 18th at midnight all of my personal websites will be going dark to protest the proposed SOPA and PIPA bills being discussed in congress. I’m joining sites like Wikipedia and Reddit in this process. I realize I don’t get a lot of traffic, but I felt it was important to join in. My sites will be in protest display from 8 AM to 8 PM central time.

\n", "date_published": "2012-01-17T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/01/17/participating-in-sopa.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/09/29/ipad-stolen.html", "title": "iPad Stolen", "content_html": "

I had my iPad stolen out of my hands tonight while waiting for the 8:50pm 4K bus at Lake and Lyndale.

\n\"Street\n

We had a fun 8thBridge outing this afternoon at Bryant Lake Bowl. After that a bunch of us went over to moto-i and had some dinner and then a final beer at Muddy Waters. Everyone else left by cab and I walked over to the bus stop to catch the 4K home. I was about 15 minutes early so I got my iPad out and started reading The Selfish Gene, my book club book.

\n

After a few minutes a guy walked up next to me and asked me for the time. I didn’t hear him at first and then he asked again so I told him the time. I didn’t think anything of it, but it seems after the fact that I was the mark at that point. Two other people that were at the bus stop mentioned that he looked suspicious and after he talked to me he had gone back and talked to another guy.

\n

The 4K was still a few minutes away when the 4F started to approach. That wasn’t my bus so I just kept reading, and right as the bus approached a different person approached quickly behind me from my right, snatched my iPad with both hands and forcefully pulled it from me. He then ran very fast northbound on Lyndale. It happened in about 1 second. I didn’t get any look at him, other than to know he was shorter then me, likely 5 foot 6 inches. He was a black male in his twenties.

\n

Two people waiting at the stop highlighted at this time they thought something was up. I was completely clueless. The driver on the 4F was super nice and called the transit police for me. I immediately sent a remote wipe command via MobileMe. About 15 minutes later MetroTransit Police called me and took all the details including the serial number of the iPad.

\n

I seriously doubt that the iPad will be recovered. I have no idea what they will even do with it since I have a passcode and the device will certainly be locked. It is a WiFi device so it won’t be online, and if and when it does it will be wiped. I’m bummed to have lost the device, bummed to have been robbed and also just annoyed by the whole situation. On the very good side I didn’t even get so much as pushed or shoved. The guy snatched it and ran. I thought about pursuing but he was clearly faster than I, and even if I did catch him what would I do then.

\n

The MetroTransit police officer I talked to was nice. I asked him if they ever found these things and he said the fact the 4F was approaching was a good thing. The buses, he said, have cameras all over them and they are going to pull the relevant video and see if they can find anything.

\n

First time I’ve ever been robbed. Happily my wallet was still in my pocket, I still had my iPhone in my pocket and nobody threatened me. Doesn’t make me feel different about taking the bus, but I probably need to be a bit more “street wise” at night on a local bus as opposed to an express bus with commuters.

\n

Update Oct. 5

\n

I got a call from the MetroTransit Police and they were able to pull the video from the 4F bus that was approaching when the iPad was taken from me. The investigator confirmed that they saw a person matching my description grab the device from me and run away. They were not able to see his face or any other clues to help with identifying the person so it is mostly a dead end.

\n

She said they were going to call around to local pawn shops but beyond that there wasn’t too much to go on. I thanked her for following up, but I don’t hold much hope for recovery.

\n", "date_published": "2011-09-29T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/09/29/ipad-stolen.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/08/09/efficient-market.html", "title": "Efficient Market", "content_html": "

One of the things that I really like about eBay is that I don’t have to set a price. I typically am selling used electronics or camera gear. My process is simple. I see if there is an active market for that product. If there is, I price it low with no reserve and let the market figure it out.

\n

I’m doing something interesting right now though. I have three first generation Apple TV’s on eBay. I find the bids really interesting. These three units are exactly the same, and they all have auction ends within an hour of each other.

\n\"Three\n

If markets are always so efficient, shouldn’t the price of these all be the same? I’ll be curious to see what the three units ultimately sell for. They all have the same number of watchers too, which is odd. Maybe they are the same 15 people watching all of them.

\n", "date_published": "2011-08-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/08/09/efficient-market.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/12/bubblers-against-bottled.html", "title": "Bubblers Against Bottled Water", "content_html": "

This weekend we went to the Minnesota Arboretum. It was ridiculously hot and when we got done walking around we entered the visitor center and were looking for a drink.

\n\"Elkay\n

I love this bubbler that has specific accommodations to fill water bottles, and even keeps track of how many disposable bottles were saved. Bravo! (See Stop Drinking Bottled Water)

\n\"Stainless\n", "date_published": "2011-07-12T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/12/bubblers-against-bottled.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/06/this-is-pathetic.html", "content_html": "

Vandals trash closed state parks ← This is pathetic.

\n", "date_published": "2011-07-06T08:02:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/06/this-is-pathetic.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/06/02/inside-job.html", "title": "Inside Job", "content_html": "\"Movie\n

I finally got a chance to watch Inside Job tonight. Wow. Very good documentary on the financial collapse. For those that have read a bit about the issue the recap of CDO’s and Swaps will be redundant, but it’s not much. The skewering of the ratings agencies and the economic profession is pointed.

\n", "date_published": "2011-06-02T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/06/02/inside-job.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/04/28/for-gas.html", "content_html": "

$75 for gas! Bit of a shocker when we filled the minivan up with gas.

\n\"Gas\n", "date_published": "2011-04-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/04/28/for-gas.html", "tags": ["Current Events","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/11/02/i-voted.html", "content_html": "\"I\n", "date_published": "2010-11-02T07:55:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/11/02/i-voted.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/12/10/131809.html", "content_html": "

Just got my new Minnesota Public Radio membership card. I’ve been a member since 1995. Wonder how many other things I’ve done for 14 years. Not many.

\n", "date_published": "2009-12-10T08:18:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/12/10/131809.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/18/had-a-surprisingly.html", "content_html": "

Had a surprisingly pleasant interaction with two different health insurance companies.

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-18T11:06:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/18/had-a-surprisingly.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/16/at-the-mpr.html", "content_html": "

At the Minnesota Public Radio Future of News event today, getting started.

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-16T10:10:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/16/at-the-mpr.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/03/voted-ivoted.html", "content_html": "

Voted!

\n\"Red\n", "date_published": "2009-11-03T11:31:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/03/voted-ivoted.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/10/25/video-open-internet.html", "title": "Video: Open Internet", "content_html": "

This is a really great video that explains in plain language why Net Neutrality is so vitally important.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2009-10-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/10/25/video-open-internet.html", "tags": ["Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/17/improving-a-painintheass.html", "content_html": "
\n

“Improving a pain-in-the-ass does not make it a kiss! And we need a kiss!”- Doc Searls, Rebooting the News #23

\n
\n", "date_published": "2009-09-17T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/17/improving-a-painintheass.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/08/14/no-content-found.html", "content_html": "

Really surprised how busy Ciao Bella is.\nRecession? Unemployment? Apparently not here.

\n", "date_published": "2009-08-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/08/14/no-content-found.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/07/04/wisdom.html", "title": "Wisdom", "content_html": "
\n

without wisdom, man is driven to build up a monster economy, which\ndestroys the world — E. F. Schumacher in Small is\nBeautiful

\n
\n", "date_published": "2009-07-04T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/07/04/wisdom.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/06/03/no-content-found.html", "content_html": "
\n

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of\ncivilization, it expects what never was and never will be. — Thomas\nJefferson

\n
\n", "date_published": "2009-06-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/06/03/no-content-found.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/23/023044.html", "title": "Money-Driven Medicine", "content_html": "

My book club meeting tonight was just awesome. Highly recommend people read the book Money-Driven Medicine. Great discussion.

\n\"Book\n", "date_published": "2009-04-22T21:30:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/22/023044.html", "tags": ["Books","Current Events","RW Book Club"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/21/i-seriously-love.html", "content_html": "

Poisoned Waters ← I love PBS’s Frontline, but sometimes watching it makes me want to dig a bunker and never get out.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-21T10:34:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/21/i-seriously-love.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/18/omg-roxana-saberi.html", "content_html": "

Iran gives American journalist 8 years ← Roxana Saberi sentenced to 8 years of prison by Iran. 😲

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-18T07:36:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/18/omg-roxana-saberi.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/20/awesome-macncheese.html", "content_html": "

Lunch at Yum! celebrating our new President!

\n\"Man\n

Awesome Mac-n-Cheese! Mazie loves it!

\n\"Young\n", "date_published": "2009-01-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/20/awesome-macncheese.html", "tags": ["Restaurants","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/20/january-lunch-at.html", "content_html": "

January 20, 2009.

\n\"Circular\n", "date_published": "2009-01-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/20/january-lunch-at.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/08/hard-to-believe.html", "content_html": "

Hard to believe I’m paying $1.71 for premium gas.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-08T11:52:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/08/hard-to-believe.html", "tags": ["Current Events","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/01/my-nabaztag-rabbit.html", "content_html": "

My Nabaztag Rabbit just reported the stock market is “up up up!” It is so very wrong. Wishful thinking?

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-01T10:01:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/01/my-nabaztag-rabbit.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/01/trying-to-resolve.html", "content_html": "

Trying to resolve a medical bill via several 800 numbers and IVR systems. Going nuts.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-01T09:39:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/01/trying-to-resolve.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/10/so-when-can.html", "content_html": "

So, when can we get a POTUS Podcast going. Please add that to the list for change.gov.

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-10T15:26:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/10/so-when-can.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/04/182108.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-11-04T19:21:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/04/182108.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/04/i-voted.html", "title": "I Voted, 2008!", "content_html": "

I got out and placed ballot #382 this morning around 8:30 am. Contrary to what I’ve heard in many precincts there was almost no line and I was able to walk in and out in about 10 minutes. I talked to my mother who said it took her about an hour and she had to stand in lines over a hundred people long. There was a longer line in 2006, but I also voted right at poll opening that day with ballot #37.

\n\"Red\n", "date_published": "2008-11-04T09:35:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/04/i-voted.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/04/i-cant-seem.html", "content_html": "

I can’t seem to convince Mazie that it’s Barack Obama day. She keeps saying “Mom said it wasn’t Barack Obama day.”

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-04T08:49:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/04/i-cant-seem.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/04/facebook-election-widget.html", "title": "Facebook Election Widget", "content_html": "

This election year is the first with a very well established social networking world. I thought this real-time counter that Facebook put up today was really cool.

\n

\"Facebook-Election-Day-Widget.png\"

\n

You can watch the number go up and up in as people report in. This was a screen shot at 9:44 am central time.

\n

I love this trend. Socially we know that people tend to act in groups and if they see a million other people on Facebook have voted it will encourage people who might not take the time to vote, to get out there and do it.

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-04T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/04/facebook-election-widget.html", "tags": ["Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/25/break-the-bottled.html", "title": "Break the Bottled Water Habit", "content_html": "

I’ve posted before about the immense problems with bottled water. Tammy and I have been on a massive push to push all non-necessary plastic out of our lives banning bottled water was one of the first ones we did.

\n

I was browsing the web the other day and ran across a campaign where you can sign up to Break the Bottled Water Habit.

\n

Tammy and I had our first real test of this commitment when we went on the road for 6 weeks this summer. It was really tempting to get bottled water and in fact I broke down twice and did get two bottles of water during the entire trip. Tammy was pristine and drank nothing other than tap water transported in her trusty Sigg bottle.

\n

C’mon, drop the plastic and turn on the tap!

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/25/break-the-bottled.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/15/watching-frontline-the.html", "content_html": "

Watching Frontline: The Choice. Good show.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-14T21:00:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/14/watching-frontline-the.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/10/091128.html", "content_html": "

Markets are recovering by websites are not. Much of the web just not working…

\n

NYTimes.com, WSJ.com, Marketwatch.com, Economist.com – all are loading very slowly or not at all.

\n

Just got whiplash from the market.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-10T09:11:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/10/091128.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/03/foreclosure-alley.html", "title": "Foreclosure Alley", "content_html": "

This is an incredibly depressing video of the reality of home foreclosures in southern California.

\n

Amazed to see the guy who paints lawns green.

\n\n \n \n \n \n\n

Via my friend Raanan’s blog.*

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/03/foreclosure-alley.html", "tags": ["Videos","Home","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/01/102113.html", "content_html": "

Using the MPR iPhone application to listen to Barack Obama’s speech. Thanks Damon Allison and Minnesota Public Radio for making this possible.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-01T10:21:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/01/102113.html", "tags": ["Apple","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/22/commercial-defending-highfructose.html", "content_html": "

Commercial defending high-fructose corn syrup = the definition of corporation over health.

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-21T21:50:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/21/commercial-defending-highfructose.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/16/i-cannot-believe.html", "content_html": "

I cannot believe how painful it is to transition health insurance around. Frustration level: 10+

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-16T12:12:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/16/i-cannot-believe.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/16/you-now-have.html", "content_html": "

You now have to pay sales tax when you buy Wii Points? Huh…

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-16T11:17:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/16/you-now-have.html", "tags": ["Games","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/29/170727.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-08-29T17:07:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/29/170727.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Current Events","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/31/202330.html", "content_html": "

Listening to Tammy deal with insurance crap, COBRA, etc. Sounds like complete nightmare.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-31T15:23:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/31/202330.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/15/ventura-considered-running.html", "content_html": "

Ventura considered running for senate? Oh please, no. Thankfully it’s not going to happen, but that shouldn’t even be considered.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-14T22:25:23-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/14/ventura-considered-running.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/06/13/leaving-monterey-for.html", "title": "Summer of Love Day 26 Log", "content_html": "\n

See full Summer of Love Collection.

\n", "date_published": "2008-06-13T09:56:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/06/13/leaving-monterey-for.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events","Cars","Summer of Love 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/06/13/gasoline.html", "title": "$5.50 Gasoline", "content_html": "

We’ve happened to take our longest road trip ever during the most expensive gas prices ever. We’ve been hitting gas in the mid $4 range for a while now, but today as we were nearing the Nevada border we set a new high.

\n

$5.499 for a gallon of gas. Ouch.

\n\"Gas\n", "date_published": "2008-06-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/06/13/gasoline.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events","Cars","Summer of Love 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/14/t788765920.html", "content_html": "

Threat level is still orange. Be afraid!

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-13T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/13/t788765920.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/29/t778944407.html", "content_html": "

Watching Frontline “Bush’s War” in the background. Hard to even watch. Watching a disaster in slow-motion.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-28T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/28/t778944407.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/19/t773723901.html", "content_html": "

Obamas “More Perfect Union” speech one of the most amazing I’ve ever heard a politician give. Brave and inspiring.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2008-03-18T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/18/t773723901.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/19/t774075454.html", "content_html": "

First Gary Gygax dies. Now Arthur C. Clarke. Not a good week for geek heroes.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-18T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/18/t774075454.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/18/publisher-party-at.html", "title": "Publisher Party at Hearst Tower", "content_html": "

I got a fun opportunity to attend a really nice event hosted by True Ventures, Automattic, Sphere, New York Times and Hearst Interactive at the Hearst Tower. It was a collection of who’s who in the publishing/media sector and some great companies with some innovative web stuff. Big thanks to Raanan over at Automattic for thinking of me. Two fanboy moments of chatting with Matt Mullenweg, the creator of WordPress and Lindsay Campbell formerly of Wall Strip and now at MobLogic.tv. Also saw Rupert Murdoch, Kevin Ryan, Toni Conrad, and more.

\n

Jason Calacanis Interviewing Toni Schneider of WordPress on his mobile phone.

\n

Find photo [farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2343...](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2343498641_11c4d9b8a8_m.jpg)

\n

Matt Mullenweg

\n

Find photo [farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2344...](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2344379648_344a3745f4_m.jpg)

\n

The Crowd Listening to a Short Background on the Event

\n

Find photo [farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/2343...](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/2343551661_d0bfb28450_m.jpg)

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-18T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/18/publisher-party-at.html", "tags": ["Blogging","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/09/t768766913.html", "content_html": "

Just pushed all the clocks ahead an hour. This early DST stuff is still odd.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-08T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/08/t768766913.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/20/just-finished-tour-of-fox.html", "content_html": "

Just finished tour of Fox Business studios. Pretty cool.

\n\"A\n\"Fox\n\"Inside\n", "date_published": "2008-02-20T15:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/20/just-finished-tour-of-fox.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/08/t690290522.html", "content_html": "

Ann Coulter being interviewed on the TV. The evil is warping the image and starting to melt the plastic.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/07/t690290522.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/07/t686713222.html", "content_html": "

Threat level ORANGE! Stay terrified.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-06T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/06/t686713222.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/11/11/launch-of-minnpostcom.html", "title": "Launch of MinnPost.com", "content_html": "

Last night Tammy and I joined some friends and attended the launch party for MinnPost.com. MinnPost is an interesting new non-profit trying to bring the public radio model online to produce quality journalism (more). It is founded by Joel Kramer and has a cadre of writers signed on. The site just launched this last Thursday. I’m hoping they do some great stuff.

\n\"MinnPost.com\n

MinnPost is still very early. They just passed 400 members and the momentum is good. Good luck to the crew! And give it a read… and become a founding member.

\n

PS - The site has already been parodied at MinnToast.com. Funny stuff.

\n", "date_published": "2007-11-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/11/11/launch-of-minnpostcom.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/11/06/mixed-green-messages.html", "title": "Mixed Green Messages", "content_html": "

I just took a trip to San Francisco. The hotel I stayed in had some odd mixed messages related to green issues. They encouraged me to forego daily washing of my linens and towels so that I could help them help the environment. This always makes sense to me. Who changes there sheets every night at home. Why would you need to at a hotel? And the amount of water and energy this saves is significant. Kudos.

\n

But then, when I came into my room they insisted on having the TV turned on playing soothing music with videos of waterfalls and flowers cycling through. It’s pretty normal that nicer hotels will turn your clock radio on to a classical radio station, a practice that I dislike as it is, but this seemed just crazy. They were running a TV for hours and hours with nobody at all in the room. To make matters worse it wasn’t some high-efficiency LCD panel, it was an old CRT-based tube television just sucking down the watts.

\n

What’s the point of having this TV on all hours of the day? I can only imagine if a visitor from Europe or Japan comes they must be stunned. Lights on, TV on with soothing waterfall videos – for nobody. Just wasting energy. But meanwhile, I’ll make sure to reuse my towels. What a mixed message.

\n", "date_published": "2007-11-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/11/06/mixed-green-messages.html", "tags": ["Travel","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/21/t352185412.html", "content_html": "

Becoming an MPR Sustaining Member.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-20T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/20/t352185412.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/04/t312923152.html", "content_html": "

Throw out all your plastic now! It’s killing you!

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-03T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/03/t312923152.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/09/11/stop-drinking-bottled.html", "title": "Stop Drinking Bottled Water", "content_html": "\"Seven \n

Tammy has been leading the way on a number of environmentally conscious improvements in our house. We’ve done a lot of big things like our solar heat project and buying wind credits for all of our electricity. But these larger efforts are somewhat “mailing it in”. You do them once, write a check to someone, and continue as you always have. They don’t require you to change behavior at all. Recently we’ve been working harder on these types of change, including starting to compost and using air conditioning more sparingly. Tammy however has been pushing even farther, looking at where she buys clothing, where items comes from and what we bring into the kitchen.

\n

Over the last year or so we’ve weened ourself off of the traditional grocery stores. We’ve been longtime co-op members and shop at Lakewinds. However, for a long time we supplemented with occasional trips to “normal” grocery stores for other items. We no longer do this, having pushed those items out of our kitchen. We can happily report there are no trans-fats, and no high-fructose (or otherwise) corn syrup products in our house. Shopping exclusively at a co-op makes this much easier to do. We recently got new sheets for our bed and she persisted her search there. She found bedsheets made of bamboo that have a much smaller footprint on the environment. By the way, the bamboo sheets are awesome.

\n

She has recently declared no more bottled watter. She read Garbageland a while ago and that really got her thinking about trash (hence our push into composting) and bottled water is a huge problem in this regard. We now all have our Sigg bottles and eschew the ubiquitous bottled water in favor of bringing our own along. The September 7th edition of The Week goes into much more detail on this problem in it’s briefing entitled The High Price of Bottled Water. Here are some highlights I felt needed to be shared.

\n\n

The only value being provided here is convenience. The water isn’t better. It’s just in a nice, convenient package. A simple change in behavior could help us out in so many ways.

\n

I’ll be carrying my Sigg bottle more often… get yourself one!

\n", "date_published": "2007-09-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/09/11/stop-drinking-bottled.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/08/03/t183526832.html", "content_html": "

Looking at the 35W bridge during intermission. Wow.

\n", "date_published": "2007-08-02T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/08/02/t183526832.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/06/11/t99834592.html", "title": "Push Conference 2007", "content_html": "

Listening to director of National Institute of Play.

\n

Listening to Clyde Prestowitz, author of Rogue Nation and leader of Economic Strategy Institute.

\n", "date_published": "2007-06-10T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/06/10/t99834592.html", "tags": ["Tech Community","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/28/t80951442.html", "content_html": "

Sitting down to watch “An Inconvenient Truth” again. First time.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-27T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/27/t80951442.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/07/t53627142.html", "content_html": "

Just signed up for TimesSelect.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-06T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/06/t53627142.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/24/t11871431.html", "content_html": "

Playing with Market Perception product on MarketWatch. Pretty cool!

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-23T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/23/t11871431.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/28/t5750472.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2007-02-27T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/27/t5750472.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/11/t2602433.html", "content_html": "

First CNN on Twitter. Now the BBC. How long until we have MarketWatch on Twitter?

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-10T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/10/t2602433.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/07/t2296193.html", "content_html": "

Noticing that CNN is using Twitter for breaking news!

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-06T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/06/t2296193.html", "tags": ["Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/02/article-in-twin.html", "title": "Article in Twin Cities Business Journal", "content_html": "\"Bald\n

Excuse me for a moment of self-promotion. πŸ™‚ I was featured in an article published last Friday in the Twin Cities Business Journal about what Dow Jones is doing here in Minneapolis, specifically some of the R&D; work that we’ve been focused on.

\n

While the article suffers from some inaccuracies, for example, the entire office is not about Dow Jones Online but is instead many different divisions of Dow Jones. It seems I can never get through an interview for an article without something like that happening.

\n

I’m happy to get the word out. I’ve been trying to get more publicity for what we are doing in Minneapolis since far too few people understand what we are doing, and we need all the best talent we can get.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/02/article-in-twin.html", "tags": ["Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/11/17/threat-level-orange.html", "title": "Threat Level Orange", "content_html": "

I just got home from another business trip. I seem to be in the middle of another spat of business travel with all the requisite fun of airports, flights, taxis, rental cars and hotels.

\n

As I drove to the airport for this trip I noted the electronic sign at the entrance of the airport proclaiming:

\n

Threat Level Orange

\n

I have to ask, what good is this? What in the world is this supposed to do to make my life better? Really. Let’s think about this. My reaction to the blazing orange threat level was essentially as follows:

\n
    \n
  1. Is orange bad? What is really bad? Orange sounds horrible. Does this mean my plane is going to explode?
    2. \n
  2. What caused the threat level to be orange? Is there a global terrorism plot targeting the Minneapolis airport on the day I’m flying? Did some high school kid threaten to explode football stadiums?
    3. \n
  3. At what threat level do I not fly? Seriously. If this is supposed to inform me and make me more educated, when do I turn around and go home. Maybe orange? I’m going home, I don’t want to die.
    4. \n
  4. This is stupid.
    5. \n
\n

So I’m back to the beginning, what is the point? Other than making me feel nervous, slightly anxious, remind me that if I’m lucky enough to win the lottery I might have a terrorist incident in the airport. The only real impact this blazing “Threat Level Orange” had on me was to reinforce a low level of fear that is propogated by a variety of government and non-government agencies.

\n\"Homeland\n

I decided to visit the Department of Homeland Security website and find out what these levels really were. The image to the right is from the DHS website. I love the names. I’ve never, ever, seen green. That really makes sense after all, when are you ever safe. Someone may be stalking you right now, and yes, your plane may blow up. Be afraid, very afraid. Guarded is great. Blue doesn’t make intuitive sense to me on this scale, but I’ll leave that for now. Be guarded, don’t trust those strangers. Then there is the issue of the scale as a whole, is it really linear with these equal bands? It would seem to me that the way a scale like this should work, if it should even exist, is that from 0 to 60 it’s low. In essence, the vast majority of the time. And 61 to 80 is guarded. An exponential, not linear, scale.

\n

Since I cannot determine any value provided to me from this wonderful service other than fear it just strikes me as very Orwellian. What better way to keep people under control than constantly remind them of things that are statistically irrelevant.

\n

Update!

\n

I just went to the DHS website and it looks like the threat level may now be yellow!

\n\"National\n

Or not? I love this graphic. The top says the threat level is ELEVATED (note the all caps, it’s important) and the yellow bar is highlighted. Then the text says it is HIGH. Turns out that they are just telling us that there is a “significant risk of terrorist attacks” in general, and that in the airlines there is a “high risk of terrorist attacks”. It’s confusing to say the least, but make sure you stay scared.

\n

Watch out!

\n", "date_published": "2006-11-17T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/11/17/threat-level-orange.html", "tags": ["Travel","Privacy \u0026 Security","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/11/07/010000.html", "title": "#37", "content_html": "

I had a busy day on election day with an 8am meeting at work. I was determined to get out and vote and I ended up being the 37th vote in my polling station. This is the line that formed right before the polls open.

\n

\"poll-line.jpg\"

\n

Voting went smooth. I was leering at the scanner that read my votes after watching the Hacking Democracy documentary. The software that runs these machines is frightening, the documentary is worth a watch. If there was ever a problem that was well suited for the Internet, it’s voting!

\n", "date_published": "2006-11-07T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/11/07/010000.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/06/10/an-inconvenient-truth.html", "title": "An Inconvenient Truth", "content_html": "\"Movie\n

It likely isn’t going to come as a surprise to anyone that the people who are currently finishing an installation of solar heat were at the opening showing of An Inconvenient Truth last night. I heard about this movie a few weeks ago and I’ve been eager to see it since.

\n

Let me cut straight to the point: You really need to see this movie. Did you get that? I mean it. Go see this movie. I don’t care if you are republican or democrat, liberal or conservative, green or blue. Just go see it.

\n

Calling An Inconvenient Truth a movie seems a little wrong, it’s really more like going to see a presentation. And you understand why fairly quickly. Al Gore has been giving this presentation on global warming for a long time, but one person can only be in so many places. The movie is a great way to get the message out to millions of people, and it is done very well.

\n

I like to think that even skeptics of global warming will leave the theatre with a new perspective. I’m not going to try to summarize it here as I just wouldn’t do as good of a job. Go check it out – soon!

\n", "date_published": "2006-06-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/06/10/an-inconvenient-truth.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/01/01/open-letter-to.html", "title": "Open Letter to Hopkins School Board", "content_html": "

We recently were notified by the Hopkins School Board that our school district finished the year in statutory operating debt. I’m not sure if it is as bad as the newsletter made it seem, but I felt compelled to send them a letter on the proposal.

\n
\n

Hopkins School Board,

\n

Last week we received the 2006-07 Proposed Budget newsletter. I will\nkeep my comments brief and to-the-point.

\n

Your communication portrayed an environment without adequate financial\ncontrols, and a lack of transparency and accountability. I appreciate\nthe complexity of funding for a school makes this a complicated task.\nHowever, as a taxpayer, I think that I can appropriately expect that\nour dollars are being used knowingly.

\n

I encourage you to remedy these problems and make sure that the\nappropriate controls exist. However, I’m concerned by a budget\nproposal that shows significant cuts in teachers, programs and other\nactivities for students, and increased investment in information\nsystems, audit and other administrative tasks. Let us not forget the\ncritical role and mission that our schools provide to our children and\nour community!

\n

As the father of a young daughter, and hoping for more in the future,\nthe quality of public education in my community is of critical\nconcern. I live where I live in part because of the quality of the\nschools, and the national renown that the Hopkins School District has\nmaintained. I finished your newsletter concerned that the quality of\neducation was being lessened in a meaningful way.

\n

I realize that it’s not “something for nothing”, but please do\neverything in your power to make sure that our schools do not\nsacrifice the quality of education provided.

\n
\n

It stuns me that funding education properly, and fully, is a controversial topic. It is the single most important thing that we can do for our country, society and the well-being of our children.

\n", "date_published": "2006-01-01T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/01/01/open-letter-to.html", "tags": ["Family","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/12/04/celebrity-spotting-al.html", "title": "Celebrity Spotting: Al Franken", "content_html": "

Okay,so maybe this is the Minnesota version of a celebrity spotting. It’s not Madonna, or Bono, or any other single-named person (really, how pompous do you have to be to only have one name?).

\n

Today when Tammy, Mazie and I were going into the Galleria for some shopping, we were passing in front of the entrance of Barnes & Noble and there is Al Franken getting out of a black Lincoln town car. Apparently he was in town for a book signing event so a lot of people had this “Celebrity Spotting”.

\n

Anyway, we didn’t gawk or anything. Didn’t want to make Al feel awkward. πŸ™‚

\n\"Middle-aged\n", "date_published": "2005-12-04T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/12/04/celebrity-spotting-al.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/08/10/make-minneapolis-bicycle.html", "title": "Make Minneapolis Bicycle Friendly", "content_html": "

A few months ago I sent a suggestion to the mayor of Minnetonka to request that they work with the League of American Bicyclists to get Minnetonka the designation of a Bicycle Friendly city. She had someone on her staff look into it but they ultimately decided it would be too difficult to pursue.

\n

In the new flyer from the League I noticed that Chicago had just received this designation. So, I dropped a note to Mayor Rybak of Minneapolis on this topic. Maybe Minneapolis would go for this. If you think this is a good idea, how about sending him a note yourself.

\n
\n

Mayor Rybak,

\n

My name is Jamie Thingelstad and I’m a resident of Minnetonka but work, and have lived, in downtown Minneapolis. I’m also a bicyclist and enjoy commuting back and forth to work on my bicycle using the great trail network that we have in the metro area.

\n

A few months ago I sent an email to Mayor Anderson of Minnetonka suggesting that she seek to have Minnetonka designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the Leage of American Bicyclists. I am a member of the League of American Bicyclists as well as a member of the local Twin Cities Bicycling Club. Mayor Anderson’s staff looked into the award but were unable to justify the investment.

\n

I noticed that Chicago has now been designated a Bicycle Friendly Community, and that made me think that perhaps Minneapolis would like to seek the same designation. If Minneapolis achieved the designation it would be the first city in Minnesota to do so, and hopefully not the last. I think this would be a fitting achievement for the state that leads the country in miles of “Rails to Trails” paths.

\n

Thank you for your time and consideration, and of course, your continued support of cycling in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.

\n

Sincerely,

\n

Jamie Thingelstad

\n
\n", "date_published": "2005-08-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/08/10/make-minneapolis-bicycle.html", "tags": ["Cycling","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/07/26/congratulations-discovery.html", "title": "Congratulations Discovery!", "content_html": "\"Space\n

When I was in the 2nd grade I had my heart broken. It wasn’t over some cute girl as you may expect. No, I was (and am) a geek at heart, and my heart was broken because I had learned that you could not be an astronaut if you required glasses. And there I was, in all my glory, with my glasses (I’ll spare a reference to a picture here for my own sake). My dreams were shot. Space was off limits for me.

\n

In the 2nd grade I didn’t realize the million other reasons why I would not be going into space. It seemed my vision was the only thing holding me back. I’ve always loved the stars and the exploration of our universe. If I had my pick, it would be a pretty amazing area to work in, but I’m afraid my math just isn’t where it would need to be to work with all those big brains.

\n

Like many people my age I remember the exact moment that I found out about the Challenger disaster. I was walking into my science class in junior high, and my teacher told us the shuttle had exploded. We spent the entire hour watching TV coverage of the disaster. I’ll always remember that. One of those moments that is forever frozen, and locked into your brain.

\n

We also had the experience of visiting Cape Canaveral, coincidentally shortly after the Columbia disaster. It was moving to see the freshly placed tribute to the astronauts that had died at NASA’s monument. They have a very impressive monument to the astronauts that have died in the pursuit of the unknown.

\n

So of course I was excited to see the Return to Flight today of Discovery and it’s crew. The shuttle roared off the launch pad and everything went extremely smooth, or as a bunch of NASA geeks say, “nominal”. After visiting Cape Canaveral and seeing these facilities in person I certainly have a bigger appreciation for the scale of everything that goes on there.

\n

I’m happy to see that NASA is back in operation. It concerns me a bit that people think this can somehow be made risk free. After all, we are strapping people to a controlled explosion and launching them into orbit! This is dangerous, extremely risky business. We should take all precautions that are possible, but let’s not kid ourselves that this is exploration, and there are dangers.

\n

Hat’s off to all of NASA, and to all those brave souls aboard STS-114. Oh, and the astronaut on the mission from Japan, he wears glasses!

\n", "date_published": "2005-07-26T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/07/26/congratulations-discovery.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/03/20/make-minnetonka-bicycle.html", "title": "Make Minnetonka Bicycle Friendly", "content_html": "

I recently received a flier from the League of American Bicyclists regarding the Bicycling Friendly Community campaign they run. I’ve been a member of LAB for years and plan to continue. I’m a member of many bicycling organizations but LAB is unique and in many ways the most important. The other organizations focus on rides and trails mostly while LAB focuses on Washington DC and policy. They are our voice (I’ll use the word lobbyist trying to forget the slimy implications) for cycling in America. In addition to getting some additional funding from me for this program, I decided to do a little grass-roots advocacy of my own. The letter below is to the Mayor of Minnetonka.

\n
\n

Mayor Anderson,

\n

I will keep this brief since I’m sure you are very busy. I live in\nMinnetonka and am also a cycling enthusiast. In addition to being a\nmember of the Twin Cities Bicycling Club\nI’m also a member of the national organization League of American\nBicyclists (LAB). I love cycling in all\nof it’s modes whether for competitive racing, recreational riding for\nfitness or just commuting to work. The bike is an amazingly elegant\nmachine.

\n

I’m writing to you because I recently became aware of the LAB program\nBicycling Friendly\nCommunities. This program\nis an awards program that recognizes cities that actively support\nbicycling. I looked over the list of communities in the program and\nwas surprised to not see Minnesota anywhere in the list (click here\nfor list). We\nhave a surprisingly strong cycling community in Minnesota given our\nwinters and have a history of advocacy, in fact leading the country in\nmiles of bicycle trails!

\n

This brings me to the point of my letter. I would like to encourage\nyou to nominate Minnetonka to become a Bicycling Friendly Community\nand be the first in Minnesota to achieve at least a bronze\nspecification. I think it would be a reinforcement of the already\nstrong bicycling program the city has as well as a road to additional\nways to bring cycling into our community.

\n

Sincerely,

\n

Jamie Thingelstad

\n
\n", "date_published": "2005-03-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/03/20/make-minnetonka-bicycle.html", "tags": ["Cycling","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/31/amazon-raising-funds.html", "title": "Amazon Raising Funds for Red Cross", "content_html": "

I really don’t think the impact of the earthquake and tsunami have or will hit me. It’s hard to fathom that kind of disaster and it’s so far away. You hear the death tolls and the numbers just seem unreal.

\n

If you are looking for a way to help out in whatever way you can Amazon makes it as simple as one click to donate to the Red Cross. They’ve already raised over $6 million, correction, $7.6 million now, and counting.

\n

That number makes me embarassed at the $35 million that the US government has committed so far. Hopefully it will be raised substantially.

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-31T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/31/amazon-raising-funds.html", "tags": ["Giving","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/23/google-owns-everything.html", "content_html": "

Google Owns Everything in 2014 ← This is a well done, interesting future view of history\nnow.

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-23T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/23/google-owns-everything.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/11/29/whats-the-matter.html", "title": "What's the Matter With Kansas?", "content_html": "\"Book\n

I heard about Thomas Frank’s book What’s the Matter With Kansas? on The Daily Show shortly after the presidential election. The author caught my interest and I picked up a copy of the book. I found this book to be a great read. He does a good job of looking at historical precedent and taking apart what has changed.

\n

From the book:

\n
\n

A while back the Wall Street Journal ran an essay about a place\nwhere hatred trumps bread,? where a manipulative ruling class has for\ndecades exploited an impoverished people while simultaneously\nfostering in them a culture of victimization that steers this people’s\nfury back persistently toward a shadowy, cosmopolitan Other. In this\ntragic land unassuageable cultural grievances are elevated\ninexplicably over solid material ones, and basic economic\nself-interest is eclipsed by juicy myths of national authenticity and\nrighteousness wronged.

\n

The essay was supposed to be a description of the Arab states in their\nconflict with Israel, but when I read it I thought immediately of my\ndear old Kansas…

\n
\n

Frank does not write from the center. He clearly is pro-liberal, pro-union and pro-choice. However, the text does not turn into self-righteous drivel. In fact, he takes issue with the lack of liberal attitudes in the democratic party – pointing out the weakness that now dominates it.

\n", "date_published": "2004-11-29T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/11/29/whats-the-matter.html", "tags": ["Books","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/11/14/marketwatch-acquired-by.html", "title": "MarketWatch Acquired by Dow Jones", "content_html": "

News hot off the wire! MarketWatch is being purchased by Dow Jones. Still very early. It’s great news on many fronts with lots of open questions still to be figured out.

\n", "date_published": "2004-11-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/11/14/marketwatch-acquired-by.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Work","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/31/the-man-with.html", "title": "The Man with 22 Clocks Hates DST", "content_html": "

I really don’t care for daylight savings time. There are a couple of things I appreciate. The balance of getting more light earlier and later is a give and take. Mostly I really dislike how it disrupts my sleep pattern. It always seems to take a full week for me to get used to it. It’s like mini-jet lag without moving anywhere.

\n

My method for dealing with it is very specific. I like to make sure I change every clock before I go to sleep, and then I wake up somewhat unaware that anything changed. I forgot to do that last night so I had to run around first thing this morning before I became cognizant of the time. As I was changing the 15th clock it dawned on me that we have household clock proliferation.

\n

Let’s take a look, shall we?

\n\n

Only devices to deal with this on their own are the computers and our TiVo. There has to be a better way.

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-31T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/31/the-man-with.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/27/electronic-voting-software.html", "title": "Electronic Voting Software", "content_html": "

I’m sitting here watching 60 Minutes tonight and they are doing a piece on electronic voting. If there is one place where I would say that open source would make a lot of sense, how about this? The software that these systems run sounds horrible and has almost no security mechanisms included in it.

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This problem can be solved, these companies just seem to be pathetic.

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/27/electronic-voting-software.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/17/uncivil-war.html", "title": "Uncivil War", "content_html": "\"Book\n

The Uncivil War is not a book I would have typically purchased for myself. It was sent to me along with an invitation to a discussion group. Humorously enough it was sent by a law firm while Lebedoff goes on at some length about how lawyers are one of the specific groups that typically make up his unimaginatively titled “New Elite”. I’ve been particularly interested in the presidential campaign this year and this book showed up at the right time so I decided to give it a read.

\n

Lebedoff’s text describes a “New Elite” that he believes are fundamentally against majority rule, which he ascribes as one of the most important functions of the American democracy. He believes that this New Elite is in the process of trying to take America away from Americans. While Lebedoff proclaims the book to be non-partisan it is somewhat hard to believe as he spends the first 170 pages of the book showing how Democrat = Liberal = New Elite and how the Republican = Conservative = The Left Behinds. The Left Behinds are his name for those that believe that the majority is right.

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It’s hard to swallow his naming and categorization of people in these bins. Perhaps any text that tries to take such a simple approach to the American public is bound to have these type of problems. Perhaps it’s also my own personal beliefs that conflict with Lebedoff’s and make his theories seem so conspiracy theorist and convoluted. Of course the author could simply write me off by saying that I were one of the New Elite. As any prejudiced label is bound to do, it makes the argument simple by writing off the opposing opinion. Something that he proclaims the New Elite does all the time.

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It took 180 pages and nearly the entire book for Lebedoff to make any reference to a republican agenda or elected official as a member of the new elite. He picks Newt Gingrich and even when he does he pardons Gingrich with temporarily using New Elite tactics. Please…

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I do believe there is a “New Elite” but it’s not limited to liberals and educated people. There clearly is a desire to minimize the majority electoral practice in favor of the game of politics. And both parties are equally guilty of this.

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As a final note, I found it somewhat revealing that while the author goes on and on about majority rule and how important it is he makes no reference to the fact that Gore won the popular vote in 2000 and lost the election. As Lebedoff even uses this election as an example of the success of the Left Behinds, I find it surprising that there was no reference to an action that flies clearly in the face of what Lebedoff suggests is so critical to the future of America.

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-17T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/17/uncivil-war.html", "tags": ["Books","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/08/28/manchurian-haliburton-candidate.html", "title": "Manchurian [Haliburton] Candidate", "content_html": "

Tammy and I went to see the new version of the Manchurian Candidate last night. Much more suspenseful than the original, however lacking Frank Sinatra. Maybe it’s just my particular political views but the concept of the movie seemed a little closer to home than I would like.

\n", "date_published": "2004-08-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/08/28/manchurian-haliburton-candidate.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/06/25/fahrenheit.html", "title": "Fahrenheit 9/11", "content_html": "

Today was the opening day for Fahrenheit 9/11 (there was an early opening in New York on Wednesday). Tammy and I have been planning on seeing this since we first heard of it and were excited to finally take in the movie.

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First of all, you know that the movie you are going to is not just “some random film” when on your drive home you see a person with a bed sheet that has “Fahrenheit 9/11” written on it draping it over a freeway overpass. This is a charged movie that takes some very serious political stances.

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Secondly, I am fully aware that Michael Moore is as left as they come. If you turn the dial all the way left, push until the dial breaks, and then keep going left you may get to Michael Moore eventually. However, even with this fact this is still a very good film.

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Put simply for anyone that may not want to read a lot – you need to see this movie. Really, I’m not saying you should see it, I’m saying you need to see it. If you pay $1 in taxes. If you care at all about our troops. If you care about our country in any way. You simply have to see this movie.

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There, I got that out of the way. I wont try to give a review of the movie, there are plenty of places that will give you that. I can tell you that the film is heart touching and made me incredibly pissed at the same time. All of Michael Moore’s movies are a wake-up call, but this is a totally different level. Watching George W. sit in a Florida school room after knowing that the World Trade Towers were hit 5 minutes earlier for a PR visit is enough to make a person ill.

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I do want to take a moment to thank George W. though for one thing and that is waking both Tammy and I up. After seeing what can happen we will both take note to be more active and see what we can do to further the causes of groups that we approve of and simultaneously limit the actions of the “Bush Dynasty” and their cohorts.

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Occasionally people clap at the end of a movie. This film nearly got a standing ovation. I was smiling with a grin from ear-to-ear as I left the theater though and saw that the showing after ours had sold out, as did ours, and there was a line of people down to the lobby waiting to see Fahrenheit 9/11. I hope you all see it. I hope everyone sees it.

\n\"Movie\n", "date_published": "2004-06-25T12:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/06/25/fahrenheit.html", "tags": ["Movies","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/06/03/go-california.html", "title": "Go California", "content_html": "

The People’s Republic of California is an interesting state. While there are many referendums and interesting progressive groups in the state that sometimes make no sense to me, I was excited to see the state fighting what I feel is the good fight on two fronts.

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California communities have actually been fighting off the WalMart takeover of the country. Hat’s off to them for not welcoming such a scavenger business into their economies.

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Also, I just found out about Senate Bill 19 in California that mandates certain qualities of food given to kids in public schools. I’d love to see how few McDonalds menu items would be allowed under this.

\n", "date_published": "2004-06-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/06/03/go-california.html", "tags": ["Current Events"] } ] }