Mastering Technology, Systems, Automation and Beyond

  • Seeing Our Sun as the Star It Truly Is


    We often take everyday wonders for granted. Take the sun, for example. Every day, it rises above the horizon like a giant fireball, bringing life, light, and warmth. We know it’s there and go about our lives without much thought. But today, something magical happened. A thick fog settled in, so dense that visibility was…

    Seeing Our Sun as the Star It Truly Is
  • From Doodle to Waltz: Perception vs Mastery – Does It Even Matter?


    When I was about 12 years old, I saw a doodle on a wall. It was simple yet unique, and I was immediately captivated. Although I wasn’t skilled at drawing, I had an idea – what if I learned how to recreate this doodle, line by line? Without a camera to capture it back then,…

    From Doodle to Waltz: Perception vs Mastery – Does It Even Matter?
  • Rediscovering Dad: Turning Moments into Magic


    Watching The Terminal has sparked a moment of deep reflection – a moment that feels raw and transformative. It’s interesting how a film can hold up a mirror to your own life, and this time, it reflected my relationship with my kids. I realized I’ve been wearing too many hats – strict parent, teacher, boss…

    Rediscovering Dad: Turning Moments into Magic
  • Building My Raspberry Pi Setup with the Pironman 5 Case


    When I decided to build my home automation server, I knew it had to run Home Assistant OS (HAOS) on Raspberry Pi hardware. I ordered everything I needed and decided on the Pironman 5 case. However, the case delivery was set to take over two weeks, and I was eager to start tinkering with Home…

    Building My Raspberry Pi Setup with the Pironman 5 Case
  • How ChatGPT Unexpectedly Opened My Eyes to the World of DIY Circuits


    It’s incredible how far automation can go with a little curiosity and determination. These days, loads of sensors and smart devices are readily available on Amazon, and they work great. Over time, I’ve picked up a bunch of gadgets and slowly tackled some of my daily challenges through automation. With Christmas around the corner, it’s…

    How ChatGPT Unexpectedly Opened My Eyes to the World of DIY Circuits
  • Smarter Radios, Cleaner Clothes: My Latest HA Tweaks


    Wow, what a journey it’s been since starting this home automation project from scratch! Here’s what I love most about it: First Automation: Smart Radio Charger It all started with a small problem I had at home. We use two radios (walkie-talkies) – one in the ground-floor kitchen and one upstairs in the office –…

    Smarter Radios, Cleaner Clothes: My Latest HA Tweaks
  • Stepping Onto the Mat: Lessons in Growth, Fear, and Parenthood


    When I joined the Aikido club, it wasn’t for me – it was for Sasha, my five-year-old son. I wanted him to grow up confident, kind, and capable, and I thought Aikido could help him get there. But I didn’t want to just sit on the sidelines. It was important to me to be on…

    Stepping Onto the Mat: Lessons in Growth, Fear, and Parenthood
  • A Minimalist’s Raspberry Pi HAOS Server


    Since I decided to set up my home automation server on a Raspberry Pi, I needed a case to house it. I found this cool, high-tech-looking case for the Raspberry Pi 5 that resembles a mini gaming PC, complete with LED lights that would make it stand out like a Christmas tree! Unfortunately, it wasn’t…

    A Minimalist’s Raspberry Pi HAOS Server
  • A Reflection on Joining the Right Flying Model Club


    I wanted to write this as a reflection on my experience with a model flying club I recently tried to join. This isn’t something I’ll send directly to them – it’s a personal note to myself on what went well, what didn’t, and some valuable lessons about flexibility and customer experience that apply to business…

    A Reflection on Joining the Right Flying Model Club
  • Flashing My ZigBee Dongle: A Not-So-Straightforward Start


    Before connecting my ZigBee dongle to Home Assistant OS (HAOS), I decided to upgrade its firmware first. While this step isn’t strictly necessary, I wanted to take my time, learn the process, and set things up right rather than rushing through. So, onto the firmware upgrade… After some research, I found that there are generally…

    Flashing My ZigBee Dongle: A Not-So-Straightforward Start