Personal Projects & Interests is my sandbox for life outside the office—where spreadsheets, sensors, and code tackle real-world chores and passions. Here you’ll see data models guiding gear buys, DIY automations that make the house (and gate) smarter, endurance training logged like an experiment, and reflections that tie it all together.
Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche are valued teachers and they generated many of the ideas bumping into each other in the culture today. Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and social critic who is known for his contributions to the field of existentialism. He believed that the individual’s relationship to God was the most […] read more
Lauren was using her desk for art and computing. She sketched out a design and I quickly drew it in sketchup. We decided to use an existing top from Home Depot. I probably won’t do this again. The quality is really poor. I had a to gouge out lots of loose wood and we used […] read more
“If love is the essence and totality of the good demanded of us, how can it be known that we love?” Karl Barth We think in groups and live in tribes. It’s hard to believe anything that doesn’t align with a big group of folks. The historical struggle between economic classes is shifting to a […] read more
Overall Design Lauren was disappointed when we had to take 30" away from her already small room to build a bench for a duct after adding a furnace to the third floor. Lauren did an initial sketch of what she wanted to build. Her overall goal was to maximize the space available in a smaller […] read more
Walter Issacson’s words formed my understanding of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. Given his habit of writing engaging biographies from the most well known people on the planet, I was surprised to hear that his latest book was about someone I’ve never heard of: Jennifer Doudna. This is probably both […] read more
This seemed like the book to read since I got a break and wanted to get smart on virology and try to make sense of what’s happening in our world. Professionally, I’ve been deep in the world of cyber security and defence technologies but I’ve always looked over the fence what’s happening in the Pharmaceutical […] read more
Our remodeled home included a mudroom and I was tasked to build the fancy hall trees that would store all our kids shoes, jackets and stuff. I am a member of the Wood Whisperer Guild and loved their design and construction techniques. Design I was inspired by designs like this. Designing and building things parametrically […] read more
In building out my workshop, I was tired of setting up sawhorses the garage and realized that I needed to better use the floor space of my shop. Setting up a 4×8 workbench is a right of passage for the aspiring maker. They are quick to make and super useful. Most of them are pretty […] read more
So I need a clamp, specifically a corner clamp jig. Google finds this: And I was inspired by this fireball tool mega square but they are $190.00 for a 12 inch. Yes, made of cast iron, but I was curious if I could make this myself. For one, a MDF clamp would be just as […] read more
With all the isolation ahead with Covid19, I wanted to pick up my long neglected hobby of building things. Initial Design I recently purchased the shapeoko 3 XXL CNC and needed a workbench in my garage to support it. Requirements: Super strong and sturdy Big enough for Shapeoko (45”W x 40-1/2”L x 16”H) Fast to […] read more