The Value of Breaks
There is something fractal about rest. Looking back on my own experiences, I think having several short breaks beat having elongated holidays.
148 mile ebike
An ebike with range as good as a small EV: www.youtube.com/watch
More homework with Obsidian Hub
Finally clearing my desk so I can finish 23 Obsidian Hub lessons with Nick Milo.
Back when I cut code daily
Thirty years ago, I was a simple code cutter. I had a fat HTML encyclopedia and new clients every month, some who would pay more than 500 Irish pounds for each web page. I had a poster like the image at the top of this post. Life was simple in the days before Wordpress.Today I watch programmers with …
Holiday Warmth and Christmas Chatter
Like every Christmas, we have more noise and more warmth than on a typical December day. This Christmas we have the grandparents staying over for two nights. That’s disconcerting for one of our cats (Luna in the photo) who cannot claim the chairs she uses as her beds throughout the day.
Christmas Eve Sitting Room
It’s Christmas Eve in our Irish home and by looking at snaps I shot in our sitting room I realise we never stop renovating. We finished installing a new fireplace (the original one had a broken fire brick in the chimney). We had a broken pipe that leaked through the floor above and marked the …
When Visual Data Tells the Story
I never had long showers when I was young. Perhaps I should invoke a time restriction on my teens because when they’re showering for more than 15 minutes their electricity usage causes noticeable spikes, as in the black bar displayed in this power usage screenshot.
60 Minutes CECOT Story
Thanking my Canadian friends for sharing the 60 Minutes CECOT story that Bari Weiss spiked. Bari Weiss did what she was hired to do. She redlined a story that was critical of Kristi Noem and the Trump administration.
Trump Seeking Respect
We’re making a field trip to Portland Oregon to welcome 2026. We’ll be trying to figure out why Americans don’t appreciate Trump for his Greatness. There seems to be a total lack of appreciation for all the Executive Orders that make America Great Again and we think the sentiment …
Showing my love for H5P.com #DEC25
The schedule above confirms I will be showing a live demo of H5P Group AS’s smart import during the Digital Education Conference in Waterford Ireland on 9 December 2025 at 10am in room F06. I’m borrowing a workflow Frances ODonnell shared with me, culminating in a chase towards a prize …
My Three AI Takeaways from 2025 #RUNEUAI
I’ve tagged this post with #RUNEUAI because the biggest things I’ve learned about AI came directly from the 15 weeks I worked with 18 students and two instructors during my last teaching semester at university level. That collaboration opened a portal of discovery and sharing that was a …
Credit for Journaling
I am letting several agents run my life. Whoop is the first agent. When I open Whoop in the morning, I often encounter a set of questions from the Whoop Journal.
Back Where I Logged My First Flying Hours
I get regular updates from my alma mater, including this shot of Cadet Luke Plesko ( pilot) and Cadet Owen Hess (copilot) who are part of the Teal 2 Small Unmanned Aircraft System during the Fall Validation Exercise that ran at Stillman Field, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado on Oct. 11, 2025.
Working as Fixer for Community School
Working as fixer for on-site video recordings with Cashel Community School. Camera work by fifth year students.
Daily Notes to Self
Every night, my Whoop health monitor asks me to log the number of minutes spent journaling that day. I’ve learned that journaling can be a structured outlet for self-expression. I write down things that help me to clarify thoughts. In many cases, just writing things down reduces their …
New Kaffeeklatsch
I have decamped to new kaffeeklatsch locations where exceptionally diverse convos enlighten me. Now I know I have reached the Retirement Zone.
Feeling Like a Cafe Stranger
My new routine involves being the first customer to order inside my local coffee shop. For more than an hour, I am the only man seated at a table.
Inside View of Topgold
I asked ChatGPT-5 to qualitatively review the current archive of my microblog. OpenAI says I write about educational technology and teaching practice; personal knowledge management and productivity workflows; and the social web/podcasting and online publishing culture.
Missed a Big Event
I had to look to see what happened in Glendale’s State Farm Stadium last week. Nothing appeared in my newsfeeds.
Clearing Desk After International Work
Just back after four days in The Netherlands where I enjoyed first rate collegiate collaboration.
Starting a New Phase #buzzquarter
I have started a new phase by occupying the largest creative space ever. The outside of the building says Questum. The outside of my door says Buzz Quarter. I am starting work here by dumping out the contents of a 15 year old briefcase I once carried between Dublin and Thurles. Some of its contents …
First Phone Upgrade in Six Years
I figured out I needed to get a new phone after several phone calls dropped whenever I turned my head. So I dug deep into my spare change to get a Samsung Galaxy S25 with a terabyte of on-board storage.
Learning about a Groyper Sniper
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on the campus of Utah Valley University by student Tyler Robinson. The battle of dumb and dumber in this edition of leopards eating each others’ faces wasn’t on my bingo card. This is a red on red crime.
Tall Garden Out the Back
We're at the tail end of a colourful summer with two very stubborn sunflowers towering more than eight feet tall behind our home. I watched my wife buy an assortment of plants, many perennials, during the past four months. I'm surprised (delighted!) to see how we've planted a forest of plants that …
Appreciating Free Local Bus Service
I can ride around my local town for free on a highly subsidised local link service. It’s an unexpected benefit and one that dozens of elderly people use every day.