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One curl command to a GitOps-ready RKE2 cluster
December 2025 — because “fresh cluster” should not take a day
Every time I’ve needed to spin up a new Kubernetes cluster — new hardware, new lab environment, disaster recovery test — I’ve gone through the same ritual. RKE2 install. Wait. Get the kubeconfig. Install ArgoCD. Wait. Bootstrap the application of applications. Configure SSH keys for GitLab access. Wire up the GitOps repo.
85 dB at 100 metres: measuring what Amsterdam pretends it can't
October 2025 — on being told the noise is fine while holding evidence that it isn’t
There is a specific kind of frustration that comes from a government that is simultaneously collecting your taxes and telling you that the problem you’re experiencing isn’t a problem. Not because they’ve measured it and found it acceptable. But because they’ve decided not to measure it at all, and are asking you to trust that their absence of data is equivalent to data that confirms your absence of a legitimate complaint.
Zero to observability in a Java app: OpenTelemetry agent, Prometheus, and Grafana Tempo
September 2025 — adding real observability to a Java service without touching a line of application code
Logs tell you something happened. Metrics tell you how often. Traces tell you exactly what happened, in what order, for how long, across which services.
Your IoT sensors deserve proper observability: MQTT to Prometheus with a Helm chart
May 2024 — because your home produces data worth keeping
Smart home devices generate a constant stream of data. Temperature readings, power consumption, motion events, CO₂ levels, humidity. Most of it disappears into a cloud service or gets forgotten after being displayed on a dashboard for a few seconds.
MikroTik is a real router: automated backups and routing streaming traffic properly
December 2023 — on why your home router deserves the same attention as everything else in your stack
Most home routers are appliances. You plug them in, log into a web UI once to set a password, and forget they exist until they stop working. The firmware update prompt appears. You dismiss it. Repeat for several years until the device dies. Mine don’t.
My thermostat was lying to me
October 2023 — on why your heating system’s sensor is probably wrong, and what to do about it
The floor heating in my house had a problem I couldn’t immediately identify. The thermostat was set to 21°C. The rooms were never quite right. Sometimes too cold in the morning, sometimes stuffy by evening. I’d adjust the setting, wait, adjust again. Classic thermostat frustration.