Tag: personal blog

Personal Blog: Entry 2025-02-22

Otto

Personal Blog: Entry 2025-02-22

It has been a while since I have posted anything on here. I have left this website dormant for quite a bit. Specifically it has been around 22 months since I last uploaded a post here. Yes, 22 months. That’s two months shy of TWO years! That last post is namely “#0038 – Demonstration of chess game data featured in Cowboy Bebop anime” published on 2023-04-16. Fuck me. And even before that I only posted one more in 2023, number #37 in 2023-02-26. Then another year long break until I was posting at reasonable rate. So early 2022, and backwards.

A number of things have come up in life to cause this. Primarily working full time 50 hour weeks, in addition to dealing with the miscellaneous duties and responsibilities of life. One’s that put a significant claim on our resources as individuals. However I would be remiss in blaming busyness for this failure. I have had the time. I could have put in a single hour a week easily, and that would’ve netted me around 88 total working hours for the 22 month absence. More than enough to get a few quality posts out.

Now, I am mindful of the triumvirate of endlessly employable excuses. In format they are: Time, Money, and Energy. When one fails, the other two could be employed to enable procrastination and laziness. Even in cases where two fail, one will always be there ready and willing to excuse one’s bad behaviour. Consider if someone pins you to the wall on an excuse, and it becomes apparent that you both have the money, and time to do something good for you. The excuse of not having energy is ready and willing to take up the mantle.

Realistically the past couple of years have been busy for me. However having said that, it should be noted that I am aware that busyness is actually a form of laziness. People (such as myself) use being busy as a way to excuse not doing important things. And posting here is important to me. Not that much admittedly, but it is. Rank 5-ish. I should have done more. The funny thing is, its not like I have been abdicating entirely from participating in this hobby.

Over the last couple of years I have done a lot of stuff on the more practical side. I just have neglected to document them here. Off the top of my head: I have Assembled 2 different Outsunny brand metal garden sheds, replaced a shower bar, built a functioning gaming PC from scrap, repaired and analysed a light switch, repaired a washing machine twice (2 different faults), repaired 2 desk fans, etcetera, etcetera. “Blah blah blah, yackity schmakity.” – Hugh Tazmanian Devil.

I think the main reason why I haven’t posted as much is because it often takes more effort to document and write about any given project in a meaningful manner, than it is to actually just get it done. So very often in the moment I intend to do the write up later. (Yes indeed, that fabled “later” that never comes.) But after another work week, once the weekend winds around again often my mind has moved onto the next project. Now two years later, due to my lack of diligence in managing passwords, it has resulted in data loss. Meaning that I have lost pictures of projects that I need for articles. Oh well. Ce la vie. Move on.

A lot of my failings in the past (in relation to this hobby): has not just come from simple laziness, it has also come from the dark side of perfectionism. As I write this I have currently on my computer 33 half-to-almost finished projects. Some folders just contain pictures and videos from the practical, whereas most contain write ups. Being a drafted article, with supporting notes and reference documents.

So I have been working. It’s just for some reason or another I have been consistently dropping out at around the 80% mark. The writing and refining stage of these projects. I think it is because I enjoy the practicals, so there is little discipline needed to do them. However when it comes to technical writing it is easy to get stressed and overwhelmed trying to create something of value to someone. It is too easy to fall into the granularity trap with regards to documenting details. Then get stressed and take a ‘small’ break. Then not come back to it because time ran out and I have work in the morning. It’s a problem I am going to have to judiciously navigate because I do not have an easy answer for it.

Here is one answer I have for my perfectionism. Finish what you start. Sounds obvious eh? No I mean in a single sitting. When you start drafting a section of an article, take the time (in that sitting) to finish it. I am going to do that here. I am writing this blog post in a single sitting. Rereading it for clarity, then publishing it. I am not going to take breaks and work on it over multiple sitting over multiple days. Which would be likely weekend days because I seldom work on this stuff during the work week. A known issue. Start, stop, start, stop. No momentum.

Moving forward, I intend to have published at least 10 articles this year. Yes, considering it is at February’s end now. I need to publish one article every month at a minimum to meet this requirement. It’s not too much considering that I have a large backlog of half finished projects I could cap off and publish. Additionally this dovetails nicely with another new year’s resolution, something else that I am falling behind on. Namely, it is to read 10 (serious) books. This means 10 non-fiction books. After reading each book I will provide a summary of it’s content here. Not a review by any means, more of a brief on the book and it’s teachings as I understand them. I am not going to count these “book review” (yes yes I know) entries towards the 10 post goal. However their addition will make me more actively engaged with managing this website and it’s content.

Well that’s that. Gone awhile, and now I am back. Back again. Tell a friend. Time to put my nose to the grindstone, and hit the books. T-minus 10 months.

One last note before I go. Perfectionism is kicking in right now: as I look to copy this text into the browser. I have made my point here, and communicated my thoughts effectively. However it could be better, much better. Could I just post this? Or would I be better off reading and re-reading it. Then editing it down to get it just right. To make it read better, and to to catch all those pesky grammatical errors: sitting in this text like a hidden object game. Well. Two years of unpublished articles on my desktop say otherwise. Perfect is the enemy of done. And I am done. Print.

Thank you for reading.

Links, references, further reading

  • Image “Hugh_210x240” sourced from https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/Hugh

Personal Blog: Entry 2021-12-31

Otto

Personal Blog: Entry 2021-12-31

Introduction

Good grief. Its already the end of the year. The last day in fact.
Since this is the last couple of hours given to me of this year 2021, I figured that I might as well put something out. Something to inform you as to what I have been up to, and what you can expect from me in the future. Hopefully my more personal ramblings will still provide some entertainment value if nothing else. Obviously I will limit the subjects to those relevant to this website’s remit.

Time limitations and prioritisation

Ok. Where to begin. Well, it has been sometime since I last released an article. Nearly two months in fact. And what’s more, the last article I released wasn’t even all that interesting if I am honest. It just involved repairing a knife for a friend, and a rather shallow inspection of it’s mechanism.

So what have I been doing in the meantime, eh? Well it’s multifaceted. I have been doing a lot of things. Mostly working a new job and collecting money – so that I can hopefully have enough to move on to the next chapter of my life within 2022. (I will talk more about that at a later date.) Add to that all of life’s other important obligations. The kind that tire a person out. Mentally and physically.

That being said: I still made some time for tinkering with crap and writing about it. Unfortunately none of my various completed drafts have passed my personal threshold of quality *pause for laughter* in time to meet the self-imposed obligation of publishing at least one good article a month.

Projects currently worked on:

Device repairs and analysises

I have been working on several things including: a repair and device analysis article on an incandescent handheld torch, as well as a device analysis on an old nightlight and bicycle lights. Add to that an update on the tap cartridge article – where I replace the old cartridge as the temporary repair discussed in the first article has now since failed, and I don’t feel like redoing it again to buy a little more time. Within this article, I go through the process of measuring a cartridge using a caliper and noting all the most relevant dimensions for identifying and then purchasing the correct model replacement part.

Moving on, I also have some product reviews in the works; as well as various other repairs, refurbishments, and modifications. And since arguably the best times to shop for a good bargain is in November / early December: I have been purchasing a lot of tools and equipment in “spares and repairs” conditions. Ones’ whose repairs I have been / will continue to document.

I find myself now sitting on a veritable dragon’s hoard of broken electronic crap. Including everything from power-tools such as angle grinders and cordless drills, to useful devices such as uninterruptible power supplies, projectors, radios of several different stripes, as well as a sewing machine and a typewriter. All at rock bottom prices. And providing that I can repair them economically, all of these items will become a major boon once fixed: as they will assist me in future endeavours.

Theoretical subjects

Add to that the fact that I have several different drafts of a more philosophical nature or that deal with a theoretical subject in the works. Articles for example that discuss the economical aspects to repair and why it is difficult to maintain a profitable business repairing consumer electronics. As well as article that discuss subjects such as: methodical troubleshooting, true/perceived obsolescence, the nature of consumerism, and the dis/advantages of multi-tools such as smartphones.

Funny thing. Initially I started writing the more philosophical articles as a way to either whine about something that irks me, or as a way to create what I perceived as easy content. All I have to do is make a coffee and sit down and write. Right? Well no, this is because as I started writing on any subject of this nature – where ideas are explored: I become acutely aware of the gaps in my knowledge base. However often with no easy or sign-posted path to fill those gaps. Just an uneasy feeling of helplessness as one grasps at nothing in the darkness.

This is why these article are the ones least likely to get published. As I don’t want to advertise my ignorance, and doing some of these subjects justice requires writing a formal essay. With structured research and citations. And once you reach that point, it is no longer easy content now is it. Easier to just fish a used smart-dildo out of the dumpster, wash the shit off, then crack it open and throw a schematic up on here. I could probably complete that project within a single productive afternoon. And be less likely to embarrass myself in the process.

Project updates: Remote PI

I also have not forgotten the fact that I want to get back into making video games. Its just that operating as a solo developer is a heavy burden. It really is. And adding it to everything thing else that is going on – well I just haven’t had the time to put work into it as I should.

However, having said that. I am still chipping away at it. Right now I am playing around with creating pixel art. This skill will be relevant to the game. You might have spotted some of my work on this site. The Warhammer 40k Ork on the main page, or the Pokemon Magnemite on the “post index” page.

I even have heaps more that are unpublished. Including a bunch of pixel art icons and sprites that I intend to use in the role-playing tabletop game Shadowrun. I will use them to make decking (i.e. hacking) more compelling and attractive. By using the pixel art icons as visual indicators of networks, devices, as well as virtual entities such as AI sprites, ICs, and other deckers. Basically to add a visual flair to the game and give it some flavour.

So, even if I am not directly working on the game by creating assets for it. I am still developing a skillset relevant and conducive to the production of Remote PI. Its the main reason why I am creating pixel art. These other products are a side effect of that.

Software projects

I have several other software based projects that are currently ongoing, other than Remote PI. These include, creating a HTML wrapper, or converting my old Flash games so that they can be played here online. Alternatively, I may just make them downloadable. Either by bundling a portable Flash player with the .SWF files or by finding their original project files and recompiling them into an executable binary using the Adobe Air library.

I am also working on smaller HTML programs that I want to incorporate into this website itself. Such as an analogue clock widget, like the one in the Windows Vista sidebar; or a quote of the day program. Fun little things that add flavour to site like mine – albeit mostly by cluttering it up.

Closing statements

Broadly speaking, I think that I have achieve my stated goal with this first post. You now know what I have been up to this last month or so, and what I will be generally posting in the future. Although I haven’t mentioned every little thing, I think I got the big ones out of the way.

Having said that, going forward I will need to create a better daily routine for myself. One where I can have both the time and mental energy to work on these project more. As they are important to me, believe it or not.

This website enables me to look back on my work and experience it again. It enables me to put something useful and good into the world that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Even if I am the only one who reads this. Documenting things here is at least therapeutic. And I think that I will continue to do so.

If I did new years resolutions – which I don’t because they are for weak people, as they are usually used to give these people an excuse to procrastinate important life changes by delaying them until an arbitrary time period. At which point they half-heartedly promise themselves the opportunity to change, only to inevitably fail and resume their previous life habits. But don’t worry dear reader, there’s always next new year. Imma rite?

Anyway what was I saying before I started preaching like a clergyman? Oh yeah. New year’s rez.


Find a good daily/weekly routine that enables me to have the time (and mental energy) to work more on my projects. This includes cutting out bad time, where I am tired and instead of sleeping. I veg out in front of the computer. That’s probably one of the most cut and dry changes I can make to improve my productivity, as sleep restores brain plasticity.

Anyway. Thank you for reading, and happy new year.