Personal Posts
Personal Posts about myJourney
Thoughts, Stories & Learnings
Lots of thoughts, ramblings and stories / Many topics on my mind over the years!
A while back I wrote I am the sum of my parts which explains my many dimensions.
You can also view myWork Related Posts here
From Traditional Automation to AI Agents
This is an update to my post: Workflow Automation Tools Explained based on a great YouTube video he published by Stephen G Pope which NAILED the concept…. Kudos to Stephen! AI agents promise to revolutionize automation. However, implementing them without proper understanding can lead to overcomplicated systems that cost more than they save. As someone…
Should You Pursue a Career in Software Development in 2025? An Honest Look
A familiar question echoing around dinner tables, group chats, and family gatherings—especially from the younger generation these days: “Should I go into software development?” It’s a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer, not a sugar-coated one. Here’s what my general answer is: Yes, software development can still be a rewarding career, but it’s…
My Unexpected Encounter with Bestselling Authors in Whistler
I have been meaning to write this for a while – It happened back in 2001 ( So many stories to tell! ) During our family winter getaway to Whistler, I had the most surprising encounter that I still think about to this day. After getting settled at the Riverside RV park (which impressively has…
Off-Road Tales: 20250301 Hellgate Wilderness Area
Ride: Hellgate Wilderness Trail and Hieroglyphic Mountain Loop The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below After a couple of weeks of no riding, and despite a possible Red Flag Warning starting at 11am, I wanted to go out on Saturday. I send a message on Friday morning if anyone was interested and got…
Nginx Explained: Why It Matters
If you’re managing a website or application, you’ve probably heard terms like “web server,” “load balancer,” or “reverse proxy.” These tools are essential for ensuring your site runs smoothly, stays secure, and can handle traffic efficiently. One such tool that’s widely used in the tech world is Nginx (pronounced “engine-x”). But what exactly is Nginx,…
Off-Road Tales: 20250209 Lake Pleasant with Brother
Ride: Back of Lake Peasant My brother Jaime came to visit this week, and I wanted to show him the Arizona back country. It has been a couple of years since we were last together, it was super cool to have him come and visit! The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It…
Unlocking the Power of Broccoli: A Guide to Its Health Benefits
Broccoli has emerged as a superfood powerhouse, brimming with nutrients essential to our well-being. This article delves deep into the benefits of incorporating broccoli into your diet, exploring its multitude of health advantages, from antioxidants to vitamin-rich properties. Unearth the secrets of broccoli and how it can contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Nutritional Profile of…
Off-Road Tales: 20250126 Vistancia Back Area with Kevin and Sue
Ride: Back of Vistancia Area – This is the first ride for Kevin’s wife, Sue after a few miles she took the wheel and drove like a PRO! — The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a 3 hour / 32 mile ride behind the Vistancia area and continued all the…
Off-Road Tales: 20250124 – Short Afternoon Decompression Ride
Ride: Back of Vistancia Discovering Short ride The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a hard week at work, and I needed to decompress. Machine was calling my name out load (it felt like it) so why not, lets go Lets discover a bit of the back yard … It was…
Off-Road Tales: 2025 New Year Surprise
The Route Equipment: This ride was about 4 hours round trip – plus travel from home to the staging area. To start the new year, my daughter and I went on a New Year ride. This was a 5-6 hour day and it was beautiful day! –It was a bit of a cold start but…
Off-Road Tales: 20241227 Lake Pleasant with Son
Ride: Back of Lake Peasant My Son Alexander came over for the holidays, and of course I had to show him the Arizona back country! The Route Equipment: See: photos of the day below It was a great 3 hour – 42 mile ride, and despite the fact that he does not like the desert,…
2024 Scavenger Hunt Gift
This has become a family tradition! — Every year we have one gift that has a scavenger hunt attached to it – Very fun! What we did this year follows: Start your search where the day begins, in the room where daily grinds are transformed into daily elixir that help awaken your day! Look behind…
Venice.AI Platform – Deserves Your Consideration
As someone who’s explored the world of AI assistants, I’m excited to share my thoughts on Venice.AI. This platform stands out from the rest with its unique combination of privacy, model flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and user-centric features. I’ll dive into the key advantages of Venice.ai, including its model flexibility and cost-effectiveness, and explain why I highly…
Harnessing the Power of Multi Model Large Language Models
Dive into the evolving world of Multi Model Large Language Models (LLMs), a cutting-edge development pushing artificial intelligence into new realities. By fusing linguistic, visual, and auditory processing, multimodal models represent a profound shift in how machines understand and generate human communication. This article explores their evolution, architecture, applications, and the challenges that will shape…
NAS Setup: Large Drives or Smaller Drives?
Here’s something that caught me off guard when building my home lab NAS: I assumed drive size was just about fitting enough terabytes in the box. Then I watched my first RAID rebuild take 36 hours on a 12TB drive, and realized I’d been thinking about this all wrong. The question isn’t just “how much…
Managing my Dev Codebase and Workflow
Taming the Chaos with NAS, Git, and a Backup Plan As a hobbyist developer, my code situation used to be… well, let’s call it “organically grown chaos.” I have a sprawling collection of projects: some are deeply committed to Git (sometimes synced to GitHub, sometimes just local), others are simple scripts or experiments that never…
Workflow Automation Tools Explained
Workflow automation tools are software applications designed to help you streamline your everyday tasks by automating repetitive processes. Think of them as digital assistants that take care of scheduling, tracking projects, managing emails, and other routine activities, allowing you to focus on more strategic work. These tools are essential in today’s fast-paced environment, where efficiency…
Dev Log: What Is NPM? How It Works and Why It Matters
NPM stands for Node Package Manager. It’s the default package manager for Node.js, and it’s used to install, share, and manage JavaScript libraries and tools. Developers use npm to pull in reusable code (packages), manage project dependencies, and run scripts for building, testing, or running apps. What Is NPM? A Deep Dive Into How It…
How to Back Up Your OneNote Files
Please note that this original blog post was updated on 4/15/2025 to reflect some changes on application consolidation. Microsoft’s OneNote application has become an essential tool for organizing information, whether you’re managing work projects, personal notes, or collaborative ideas. Its seamless integration with cloud services like OneDrive and SharePoint makes it easy to access notebooks…
Backstory: Bean Kingdom Book
Ever since my kids and I came up with this 20 years ago (when they were little), I always wanted to publish this short story about the Bean Kingdom. One Saturday afternoon, on a rainy day in Redmond, WA, my daughter, my son, and his friend were all sitting at a Dairy Queen. It was…
Guide to Choosing a Smart Lock for a Multi-Door Home or Airbnb
I am writing this because it was hard for me to get my head around what should I buy for my needs… Tired of juggling a handful of keys or leaving a spare under the doormat? The convenience of a smart lock with keypad access is undeniable, especially for homes with multiple entry points or…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 07: Chronicles of the Great Northern Beans
Chapter 7: Chronicles of the Great Northern Beans Deep within the lush valleys of the Bean Kingdom, there dwelled a sect of beans driven by an insatiable curiosity – the Guild of the Great Northern Beans. Their purpose? Exploration. Their passion? The uncharted. From the moment their sprouts unfurled, these adventurous legumes felt the call…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 06: The Bean Olympics
Chapter 6: The Bean Olympics In the heart of the Bean Kingdom, where starflower petals danced the tribes assembled for the grand event: the Bean Olympics or as it was known in the kingdom: The Beanolic Games. However this was no ordinary athletic competition; it was a showcase of magical prowess. Excitement rippled through the Bean…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 05: The Forbidden Love
Chapter 5: The Forbidden Love As fall comes to an end, and the first visible cold night of the sunset gathering, a hush fell over the Bean Kingdom. For amidst the music, laughter and beautiful sunset, an unexpected romance had blossomed – one that threatened to upend the longstanding traditions of the realm. Young Angela,…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 04: Whispers of the Wind
Bean Kingdom – Chapter 4: Whispers of the Wind The Beanstalk Peaks, towering majestically over the Bean Kingdom, held secrets older than memory itself. As the wind whistled through the narrow crevices and winding valleys, it carried tales of forgotten legends and hidden portals, whispering of wonders yet to be uncovered. From the time the…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 3: Trouble in the Beanstalks
Chapter 3: Trouble in the Beanstalks The harmony of Bean Valley was not without challenges. As the seasons shifted, so did the winds of fate. And in the heart of the kingdom, shadows began to stir. One moonless night, a frantic Fava bean burst into the Great Bean Plaza. His usually jovial face was etched…
Multimodal Models in AI
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed how we interact with machines. However, a significant advancement has emerged in recent years: multimodal learning. This post explores what multimodal LLMs are and how they differ from their traditional text-only counterparts. What Are Traditional LLMs? Traditional or unimodal LLMs, as…
Bean Kingdom: Chapter 2: Unity in Diversity
Chapter 2: Unity in Diversity From the crack of dawn, the diligent Green Beans tended to the fields, carefully nurturing the tender sprouts that would eventually provide sustenance for all. As the morning sun peeked over the hills, the Pinto Beans emerged from their studios, their nimble vines deftly weaving intricate tapestries and sculpting elegant…