Tech on

Engineering is a Discipline, Not Just a Prompt

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:08:00 +0000

The Digital Archaeological Dig

I recently assisted a friend with a codebase that felt like a digital archaeological dig—a chaotic mixture of Python versions and conflicting modules. The modern instinct was to upload the lot to an LLM to “fix” everything.

The result was absolute carnage.

No version control or history meant “editing on master” in real-time.
More time spent reversing AI “improvements” than fixing the original bug.
A stark reminder: tools are getting smarter, but engineering discipline is becoming a rare commodity.

The Return of the Artisanal Mess

This mirrors the “artisanal” FrontPage websites of the late 90s. A lower barrier to entry does not guarantee higher quality output.

The High-Fidelity Future of Translation

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whether it’s the cadence of a score, the logic of a codebase, or the spoken word, language is the ultimate “human” terrain.

I’ve been fortunate to work across the globe. Outside of local food and drink, language remains the primary metric for how a culture operates. It is their conceptual framework and their historical documentation.

I initially feared AI would sanitise this beauty. I thought effortless translation would lead to a “lossy” compression of culture, flattening the landscape. Instead, I’m seeing the opposite.

OpenBSD Adventures: VPS Hosting, Self-Hosting, and Desktop Experiments

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OpenBSD and Me

OpenBSD holds a place near and dear to my heart. Back in the Air Force, I deployed some of the first Snort sensors in 2003/2004 to detect network traffic. I quickly became engrossed with the elegance and simplicity of OpenBSD’s build system and ongoing maintenance.

I wish I could dig back through my early eBay purchases and find the little Compaq machine that powered my first home server install. In my dorm room, I built my first PF firewall and router to practice network configurations. After spending all day working on Sidewinder firewalls and Cisco gear, I was blown away by what I could accomplish with a $200 computer and some persistence.

Unearthing Hi8 Time Capsules - The Geek Bridge Between Two Worlds

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 04:15:57 +0000

There’s something delightfully analog about growing up before smartphones. We don’t have TikTok timelines or Instagram reels of high school. Our memories live on dusty Hi8 and DV tapes, glitchy, lo-fi fragments from a time before social media ruled our lives.

Back in Latimer, Mississippi, our English teacher Vadis Perkins, a true visionary, gave us the green light to launch a morning news show at St. Martin High. She handed us a makeshift newsroom: a few camcorders, some clear tape, and a ton of enthusiasm. We recorded, spliced, and narrated, one linear edit at a time.

SailfishOS, Jolla C2, and random ramblings in 2024

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 04:15:57 +0000

I’ve been a loyal follower of Nokia’s mobile innovation journey for years, starting with the Nokia N800 and every subsequent device. Before Android fully established itself, Nokia’s Linux-based devices offered a genuinely geek-friendly alternative. I fondly recall a time in Tel Aviv when I used my N900 to SSH into a server and fix a config file while riding in a taxi—those were magical moments!

Over the years, I’ve kept up with the evolution of Nokia and Jolla devices, purchasing each new iteration. While I’m still waiting on my Jolla Tablet, I was excited to grab the Jolla C2 after its launch under Russian ownership. Living in the US meant shipping it to my EU office first, but I was eager to give it a try.

Gaming on the Go - What the Sega Nomad Taught Me About EVs

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 04:15:57 +0000

In my teens, close family friends gave me a [Sega Nomad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_Nomad) along with several Genesis/Mega Drive games. Up until then, I was only allowed a computer and a GameBoy, so the Nomad—with its colour screen and vast game library—became an instant favourite as I travelled around Europe.

It was a fantastic but little-known device; its biggest flaw was its battery life. Even with the brightness set to its lowest, you’d be lucky to get two hours of playtime. It basically turned into a mobile Genesis with a small TV, forcing me to hunt down cigarette lighters in cars or wall plugs to keep it going. You learned to time your gaming between the 6-AA life and finding a dependable source of electrons.

Replacing the Model 3 with a Model X

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:15:57 +0000

I’m the kind of guy who buys a car and keeps it forever. When we got our Model 3 over five years ago, I thought I’d be handing the virtual keys to our daughter in a decade. Well, it’s totalled.

That started our search for another electric vehicle. We left the ICE world behind and didn’t consider hybrids—we’re firmly in the EV camp. After a week of driving ICE cars in Europe, we were reminded why we won’t go back.

Streamlining Tech for Travel - My Shift to Minimalism

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 04:15:57 +0000

After travelling most of my life, I have been on a crusade to reduce my tech baggage. There was a time when I would have multiple laptops, games, and a litany of cables. International converters further complicated this during times of 110/220, requiring separate blocks.

Like clothing, I overpacked what was actually used and needed. This trip, I decided to attempt just a tablet with a keyboard. I found that with Android and work MDM profiles, it was easy enough — additionally, turning off my work profile limited work notifications on PTO.

Travelling with less stuff

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 04:15:57 +0000

Redefining My Reading - Embracing the Modern Age of Media Consumption

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 04:15:57 +0000

At times, I've felt a twinge of disappointment that I don't read as much or as often as I'd like. The giants of philosophy, history, and technology had devoured volumes by this stage in their lives, a feat that seems beyond my reach. But then, I realised that my approach to media consumption is unique and satisfying in its own way.

For the past seven days, I have made it a point to note when I am listening to a podcast or audiobook, watching a YouTube documentary, or mindlessly scrolling through some technical post. The truth is that I consume information nonstop, but in different forms. Leopold von Ranke had no opportunity to have a group of intellectuals follow him around, piping various topics into his ears from around the globe in all his free time. His sphere of information was a fraction of what I could blare into my ears or burn my eyeballs with.