Author: doug

Lis brought home an iRobot Create 2 (a Roomba without some of the vacuum bits) to see if we could figure out how to control it with Scratch, a kids’ programming environment created by MIT. The answer is: yes, we could figure out out; no, it’s probably not suitable for her employer’s audience.

Here we have the beginnings of a control program to navigate a simple maze. Unfortunately the Scratch iRobot commands are frustratingly unreliable for even this simple task.

The building in the background is City Hall

I rarely wear a winter hat. which means that this one that I’ve had since high school is still going strong.

 

I believe Lis is posting the “before” photo, but this is the “after”: I made tostones (smashed, fried plantains) to go with dinner this evening.

I went to Eataly Boston with Kris and Steve today. When we came across this impressive selection of hanging proscuittos, we immediately dubbed them the Swords of Hamocles.

We used up a bottle of maple syrup today. In the bottom you can often find some crystallized maple sugar, but this one was especially spectacular.

I had never (successfully) made pita bread before today.

No, this is not a silver spork! OK, yes, technically this is a combination fork/spoon made of silver. But officially it is an “ice cream fork”. It seems that in the early 1900s ice cream was just too difficult to wrangle with an ordinary spoon.

(Yes, I am cheating: this photo is from yesterday, but it’s too good to pass up.)

There is no more impressive vegetable than the Romanesco, and none more appropriate to serve to a mathematician.

I can’t believe I heard this on the radio. The DJ must have had, um, some lengthy task to attend to.