Random Links

Blogger has, in true fashion, screwed up its sidebar widget where I can normally post links to other cool stuff.  In lieu of using that (again), here are a few fun things I've learned about recently:

Every year, residents of Nome, Alaska, set up their used Christmas trees on the ice to create the Nome National Forest.  They even have a sign and some little fake animals -- plus Santa, mermaids, and a few other creatures -- that get interspersed with the trees.  In the spring, they collect up the man-made pieces, and let the trees fall through into the water as the ice breaks up.  How fun is that?

Minneapolis and St. Paul are famous for their pedestrian skyways, those second-floor enclosed walkways that connect all the downtown buildings, saving folks from having to go outside during the frigid Minnesota winters.  Did you know that, once, several years ago, the St. Paul skyways were the site of a mountain bike race?  I recommend you turn the sound off for this video through the course.

NPR's book recommendation engine, now called "Books We Love" (formerly the "Book Concierge") is a really fun way to find books to read.

Here's some pretty cool human choreography which mimics starlings in flight. 

More news from Minnesota!  Last year, the Minnesota Department of Transportation allowed the public to vote on the names for new snowplows for each of their eight districts.  The winning name was Plowy McPlowface.  Other names for the 2021 plows included F. Salt Fitzgerald, Darth Blader, Snowbi Wan Kenobi, and The Truck Formerly Known as Plow.  The Class of 2022 was recently announced, with Betty Whiteout being crowned the homecoming queen.  Other new graduates/additions to the fleet are Ctrl Salt Delete, Plowasaurus Rex, Scoop Dogg, and Edward Blizzardhands.