Could the micro.blog discover section take a very different approach? The curation was nice but I doubt sustainable.
How about a sampling technique using a percentage of all posts that are not replies and including them? I feel like that would work pretty well. Not algorithmic, just a sample rate.
Tyler’s done with school for the week. Mazie’s home from college. I’m making Wassail Tea and it smells great. Logs burning in the fireplace. Feels like Thanksgiving. 🥰
OmniFocus 4.4.3 just shipped with a bug I found in the change log!
Sync – Fixed issue of the same Mac showing multiple registrations in Settings > Sync > Registered Devices, when running macOS 15 Sequoia. After this update, OmniFocus 4.4.3 may show up as one additional registration; delete all other registrations of the same Mac (that don’t include “this device”) to improve sync times.
I’d been pruning these ghost devices every few days. Happy to not need to look at sync devices now. 🙂
Candle experimentation trying out nine new scents. Made two candles each at a relatively high 9% scent ratio using the 2oz samplers. Will see what we like!
The Matrix
I have wanted to watch The Matrix with Tyler for a while. I remember seeing it in the theater and being blown away by the film. I was also taken aback that it was released 25 years ago. Yikes.
I was tentative about the R-rating. I visited the Common Sense Media reviews for The Matrix and the average parent review suggested it was fine for 12 and up. A 25 year old R-rating isn’t what it used to be it seems. With further inspection I decided it was fine so we rented a fresh 4K version from iTunes, versus the DVD rip I have on Plex, and fired it up.
I had forgotten that it was AI that they were fighting against. It was interesting to see that storyline in the context of AI that we have today. The cell phones were comical in design dating before the glass slab era. Bullet time was amazing back then but not very notable given todays effects. The story was still very interesting and well done. We both liked it.
Judging Novice Policy Debate today at University of Minnesota UMBrooks tournament. Tyler here competing too. 🏆
Alby is deprecating their shared Bitcoin Lightning wallet service. I don’t want to host my own node or use their cloud hub so I transferred the satoshis I had there via lightning to my Strike wallet. Still amazes me how fast and simple Lightning is. ⚡️
Wonder what Musk’s net worth will be four years from now?
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. — The Economist, November 23rd 2024
My guess — double. 😳
Justin Willman at The Fitzgerald Theater
We had a great time seeing Justin Willman at The Fitzgerald Theater tonight! We first discovered Willman watching his Magic For Humans show on Netflix when we had dinner in the Tesla during the pandemic. It was our go to show for a Lion’s Tap cheeseburger or Lake & Irving meal in the car.
Tammy saw he was coming to town and got us some great seats. To make it even cooler the performance was a special taping for a new Netflix comedy and magic special he is doing. That added complexity of signing release forms before we went to our seats and having a large boom camera moving around from the balcony. Additionally absolutely no phone use at all. I snapped one picture of the theater before it started.
Willman’s performance was amazing and funny. The kind of show that you leave just feeling happy and good about things. The magic was impressive and I have no idea how he does any of it at all. Willman also has some family connections to Minnesota and the Twin Cities. He clearly knows the area well, which made it feel even more homey.
Added the Bullfrog X8 hot tub to pair with the Urban Wing sauna. Happened to get it installed on the 10th anniversary of signing the purchase agreement for Magic Pines. Looking forward to some delightful time this winter! 🌨️ Now to get everything ready to use!
My coffee subscription from Pair Cupworks consistently brings me compelling and unique beans. This Peanut & Dark Chocolate from Laos by the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative is great. It may be my first coffee from Asia. ☕️
Lefse: Freddy's v. Laura's
It is nearly Thanksgiving and the time I start to crave some lefse! I come from family where lefse was made from scratch and I’ve taken part in making it myself. We even have a lefse iron and proper turning sticks. My friend Patrick does it from scratch. But it is a lot of effort and a big mess for something that you can get in other ways. So I tend to buy my lefse instead. I happened to have two different lefse packages at home so I thought a comparison would be fun.
Freddy’s Lefse
Freddy’s Lefse is made in Fargo, North Dakota and they have been at it since 1946. I’ve ordered their lefse online multiple times and I really like it. They make a traditional round lefse that is very thin and has just the right chew to it. As an added bonus, you can splurge and get Freddy’s own mix of cinnamon and sugar in a nice shaker. Why would you do that when you almost certainly have sugar and cinnamon in the cupboard? The ratio they use to me is perfect and they seem to use a very finely ground sugar that works just perfect in the lefse.
Laura’s Lefse
I had never had Laura’s Lefse before but Tammy saw it in the store and got me a bag. I was super happy for it to be the first lefse of the season. Looking closer I couldn’t find any “Laura’s Lefse” online except for Walmart and Sam’s Club website. I looked closer and the product is made in Gonvick, Minnesota so I looked for lefse in Gonvick and sure enough Mrs. Olson’s Lefse is there. Tellingly Mrs. Olson’s sells lefse in rectangular sheets just like this bag of Laura’s Lefse I have. Why does it get a different name for the retail stores? I have no idea. Reading about their company it turns out Laura was Mrs. Olson’s actual name.
As I mentioned this lefse is cut in a rectangle. It reminds me of buying sheet pasta for lasagna. I had never seen lefse prepared that way. It is also notably thicker than Freddy’s, and on the thicker end of lefse I’ve had. If you are using it for a savory snack that is a good thing. Rolling one of these sheets with a slice of ham and cheese would work very well. The weight of Laura’s (er, Mrs. Olson) is actually slightly lighter than Freddy’s but is a smaller size.
So which is better? They are both good but for a traditional lefse with butter, sugar, and cinnamon my preference would be Freddy’s. If you are making savory snacks I would use Mrs. Olson’s. And if you just want some darn lefse cause it’s so good? Either will be just fine.
1,000 days today.
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. — The Kyiv Independent, November 19, 2024
🇺🇦
Mujjo Leather Case for iPhone
Every iPhone I have had, since the original iPhone, I’ve had an Apple Leather case for. The iPhone 14 Pro was the last phone I got that I could get that case for. Apple has stopped making the leather cases.
When I got the iPhone 16 Pro I tried not having a case for a couple of weeks and I found it too nerve wracking. The device is noticeably smaller without the case. And the feel is great. But I found it a touch slippery and I was worried about dropping it.
I tried one of Apple’s Silicone cases and I hated it. It doesn’t slide in your pocket easily. When putting it in a suit coat it would “stick” to the pocket. I didn’t like how it felt in my hand at all. I don’t know if I could say a good thing about it. I had previously tried the Clear Cases and didn’t like those either.
Thankfully Mujjo has rescued me. I got the Leather Case for iPhone 16 Pro and it is great. The leather feels like it should. It is good to grip but not sticky. I feel reconnected to how my phone should feel. My only gripe is the Camera Control is just a cut out versus the sapphire crystal that Apple’s cases use.
I’m happy to have found a good leather case again.
Reading the newest book from Yuval Noah Harari, Nexus. Sam Harris interviewed him on Making Sense, Information & Social Order, and I got the book right after. The approach to “information networks” is interesting.
The Urban Wing sauna was delivered today! Darin and crew did a great job. It fits in the spot just right. I love how bright it is inside. Can’t wait to fire this up and have a good sweat soon! 😅 🔥
Stories are to people
as programs are to computers.
How much does a Things 4 Good candle cost to make?
Now that we have the fourth year of the Things 4 Good 2024 Fall Fundraiser behind us I thought it would be fun to really figure out how much a single candle costs. We’ve sold them for $25 every year. I know that we raise more money than we spend. But I’ve never done the math to figure out what the materials cost per candle. Obviously our labor is free. That is part of the fundraiser.
Most of the items in the candles have a single price. However the vessels and scents vary, and in some cases a lot. The iridescent and metal coated vessels are more expensive. Scents can range wildly in price. I also buy the larger quantities. Here is how the cost breaks down.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 12 oz Vessel (12 pack) | $4.75 - $5.75 |
| Soy Wax (44 lbs) | $3.36 |
| Candle Scent (16 oz) | $1.45 - $3.50 |
| Wooden Wick (100 pack) | $0.28 |
| Wick Clip (100 pack) | $0.12 |
| Candle Label (15 per sheet) | $0.23 |
| Warning Sticker (24 in roll) | $0.16 |
| Total | $10.35 - $13.40 |
I usually time my orders to get things at a discount with a deal so the real cost is probably $8.28 - $10.72.
For the Things 4 Good sale we cover these costs. All $25 of the donation goes to the charities. But it is interesting to see where the costs are in the production.
Weekly Thing Supporting Memberships
I have launched a Supporting Membership offering for the Weekly Thing. I previewed it in Weekly Thing 299 and shared it on the Weekly Thing Forum. So what is this Supporting Membership all about? What does it get you?
Nothing. 😊
Well, that isn’t true. It will make you feel great.
Supporting Membership will be a way to raise money for non-profits that we can support as a community. All of the money from memberships will be accrued and once a year I will disperse that to a non-profit. I plan to change the non-profit on each anniversary of the Weekly Thing when the funds are distributed. I will also likely do a “member drive” ramping up to each anniversary.
The first non-profit Supporting Memberships are helping is Creative Commons. I use a Creative Commons licenses for the Weekly Thing and my blog. I’m a big believer in Remix Culture and see the benefits that an organization like this provides. Creative Commons was founded by Larry Lessig who I think has done incredible work. Here is Lessig’s TED Talk from 2017 on Laws that choke creativity.
Back to Supporting Memberships. Members receive a gold star in each issue of the newsletter. It looks like this:
🌟 Thank you for being a supporting member of the Weekly Thing!
There is nothing else different.
But Supporting Members will help me support great organizations that are making an impact. So a huge thank you!
The links to sign up as a Supporting Member are included at the bottom of each issue of the Weekly Thing, right after the Fortune.
I’m hosting the IndieWeb Carnival in April 2025 and I’m getting pretty excited about it. Starting to think through themes and such. 🤩