If You Build It . . .

Kids of all ages love to build stuff, and Turtle Bay Exploration Park wants enthusiasts to spend Saturday playing their way to better spatial and visualization skills.

This month’s Family Second Saturday at Turtle Bay will feature hands-on activities that teach lessons in geometry and symmetry, as well as the creativity of construction. The event will be in Zubie’s Classroom at Turtle Bay from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and is included with regular park admission.

For more information, send e-mail to tosborn@turtlebay.org.

  • The world’s tallest building opened this week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it’s simply staggering. The skyscraper is 2,717 feet tall, more than 1,000 feet higher than the previous tallest building in Taiwan, and twice as high as the roof of the Empire State Building. Full story here.
  • A huge legal case is brewing over gay marriage in California, and the trial begins Monday in federal court in San Francisco. TIME has an in-depth look here.
  • What I’m Reading: Just started “The Big O” by Declan Burke, an Irish writer often compared to Elmore Leonard. Before that, I read “The Seventh” by Richard Stark, one of the hard-boiled Parker novels recently reissued by the University of Chicago Press. Classic.
  • Rules for Successful Living #9: As tempting as that frosty flagpole may be, do not stick your tongue to it.

Tips appreciated: Send e-mail to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.

Steve Brewer

is the author of CUTTHROAT and 17 other books. Read more of his columns at http://stevebrewer.blogspot.com/, or follow him on Facebook.