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.

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.

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.

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.

April 2023 — on making the network visible, organised, and not an embarrassment

Every home network starts the same way: a router from the ISP, a switch from a supermarket, a tangle of cables behind the television. It works. It’s not organised. It grows by accretion. At some point it becomes something you hide rather than show, and you stop understanding what’s actually connected to what.

December 2022 — on the difference between saying you can do something and having the git history to prove it

The first question any serious technical employer asks is: “Can I see something you’ve built?”