Michael's pondering thoughts

I just had to snap a photo when I saw this scene. A full moon peeking out from behind those clouds. It was such a dramatic, moody sight with the silhouettes of trees just barely visible at the bottom. Isn't it amazing how nature puts on a show like this? This is a werewolf's nightmare 😉.

I just wanted to put up a quick blog post and wish everyone a Happy New Year. Let's pray and hope that God blesses us all. I'm looking forward to this year on many fronts. I want to continue getting my heart under control with my Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, do more self-hosting with AI, and learn more coding. This is also my 25th year of proper blogging (more posts coming on that later). With all the computing power I'm putting together, I'm hoping to learn more about web development, self-hosting, and becoming less dependent on big tech. I'm one year closer to retirement, which I'm looking forward to. Instead of focusing on an employer's needs, I'll be able to focus 100 percent on what interests me and devote more time to my faith. Putting my love of God and technology together. So Happy New Year to everyone, and let's see what 2026 brings for us all. Should be an interesting year, especially on the home front with the United Sta...

Amidst a cascade of light and time, a visionary crafts his dreams for 2025, blending art and aspiration in his timeless sanctuary. I thought I would give a roundup from my point of view for 2025 and share some thoughts on 2026. 2025 brought so many new things for me. I left InMotion Hosting and WordPress after 9 years with them. I probably would still be with them if it weren't for three factors. First, they had given me a discount for three years, and when it expired, they would not renew it and offered me nothing. Second, they had switched to a new spam email system called MailChannels that was more concerned with outgoing spam instead of incoming spam. I think they started to concentrate on outgoing spam because of complaints coming in. The last issue was WordPress. I started to get the same feeling of craziness from the owner/co-owner that I got from Elon Musk. I moved to Write.as and thought I would like it. I had been trying it out before I left InMotion Hosting. I pu...

Today was a peculiar yet fulfilling day. It started with a dense fog but cleared up nicely. I managed to capture the sun through my telescope for the first time, and I also spotted the moon in broad daylight, though the telescope had some trouble pinpointing it. I hope you find the images as delightful as I did. They were taken with my Zwo Seestar S30, except for the fog picture, which I captured with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Driving through a foggy night, the world blurs into a mysterious haze of lights and shadows. Birds dance around the daylit moon, painting a serene scene in the vast blue canvas above. Gazing into the cosmic abyss, the sun reveals its fiery solitude surrounded by the dark embrace of space.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS Embark on a thrilling journey with the Fantastic Four as they harness their newfound powers to save the world in their first epic adventure! My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5 stars) Overall, the movie was decent. The storyline and the cast were quite good. What I found less convincing was the attempt to merge the 1930s-1960s era with advanced technology and space travel. This combination didn't come across as believable. If retro-futurism was a deliberate choice for the society depicted in the film, it needed more explanation. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb .

This weekend was quite productive for me! I managed to put together the Pironman5 Max and install a 16GB Raspberry Pi 5, and I also moved my 1TB NVMe drive from my old 8GB Pironman5, which served my homelab and home server for a year. I've owned the Pironman5 Max since June, but my ongoing health issues had left me too drained to assemble it until now. Thankfully, my new medication, Camzyos, has really helped me regain some energy. Compact and mysterious, this sleek black box hints at high-tech secrets within, standing ready for its next mission. I'm planning to repurpose the old 8GB Pironman5 for testing various operating systems. While I enjoy the Pironman5 series from Sunfounder, I'm not thrilled with their LCD and the software that comes with it. I've also been busy loading more Blu-rays and DVDs onto my home Plex server, a task that is quite labor-intensive.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS Power and resilience shine through in the dynamic duo leading 'The Morning Show,' ready to face the bustling challenges of media life. My Rating: ⭐ (1/5 stars) Episodes: 1-10 | Aired: September 17, 2025 through November 19, 2025 I thoroughly enjoyed Season 1, found Season 2 to be decent, and thought Season 3 was lackluster but bearable. However, Season 4 was a disappointment, and I struggled to finish it. I didn't find it engaging and thought the plot was forced and unrealistic. I'm hesitant about watching Season 5, if it happens. Also, my free month of AppleTV has just expired. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb .

In recent months, I've been building a social media aggregation platform using the Windsurf AI IDE. The platform displays a multimedia timeline that pulls content from Mastodon, Bluesky, Sharkey, Nostr, and Micro.blog. The goal was to centralize my social media interactions in one location instead of checking multiple sites. Developed in Python using AI coding assistants (Claude and ChatGPT 5.2 High Reasoning) to accelerate development, I designed the platform structure and verified the implementation through testing. The screenshot shows the current interface. Some posts appear duplicated because I follow the same people across multiple platforms. NASA's latest technology captures the dynamic interaction of the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Mission-1 lander's engine plumes with the lunar surface. The platform works well and I appreciate having one central location to read and respond to posts. There are occasional bugs to fix and a few features left to implement, b...

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: FULL SPOILERS Superman returns with unwavering resolve, his eyes set on a brighter tomorrow. My Rating: ⭐½ (1.5/5 stars) Let's start with the positives. I appreciated the fresh faces portraying Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen, particularly in the later scenes and action sequences. The special effects were impressive, and the soundtrack was a highlight. However, that's where the praise ends. Unfortunately, this film might be the weakest Superman installment to date. Despite a promising cast, the storyline fell short. The inclusion of the Justice League characters like Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl felt forced and detracted from the narrative. It was supposed to be a Superman movie, not a mixed ensemble. Although I'm a bigger fan of Green Lantern than Superman, his role in this film felt misplaced. Nathan Fillion, a fantastic actor known for his sci-fi roles and being a real-life nerd, was miscast. Overall, this movi...

Morning blaze: Silhouetted branches against a fiery sunrise sky, painting a dramatic beginning to the day.

“ Corfu, The Beauty of Cape Drastis ” by Maria Rosaria Sannino , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 . Envisioning retirement as serene as this secluded coastal paradise, where every day feels like a vacation. I was reading my RSS reader BazQux the other day and came across a post by rscottjones about retirement planning. With approximately 8 years until my own retirement, I've started planning too. I found his approach very interesting. I like reading what other people are thinking and comparing ideas. Since he shared his and his wife's general plans, I thought I'd share mine to help organize my own thinking. My situation is different from his. It's just me, and I'm helping my elderly parents right now. I'll probably stay where I am for the foreseeable future. Once they're both gone, though, I'll need to reassess. I'm not particularly close to my brother or sister, or to my nieces and nephews (though that's not for lack of trying on my part). Part of me...

A visionary stands at the crossroads of innovation, contemplating the expansive network that may redefine the future of technology. I have been a loyal Microsoft Windows customer since I've owned a PC and MS-DOS was a thing. I went to the events they had for major OS releases with my Dad. We both went to see the exciting things that happened when they used to stream them at movie theaters. I was there for the launch of Windows 95. But it is my opinion that Microsoft has totally lost its way with regards to the consumer and Windows. Yes, this is a rant, and I believe it may be too late for Microsoft and Windows with consumers. I know I am not a very techie person, but I believe that Windows is getting too messy in a lot of areas like advertisements everywhere, sloppy code, updates that seem like beta versions, telemetry, privacy concerns, and just all around not caring. I follow Paul Thurrott   [ 1 ] and Dave Plummer from Dave's Garage YouTube channel   [ 2 ] , and...

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5 stars) Episodes: 6 | Aired: September 2025 - October 2025 Season Overview I've just finished watching Season 5 of Slow Horses on Apple TV, with Gary Oldman delivering another stellar performance. The season was fairly average, not particularly memorable but not disappointing either. It would be intriguing to see a season focused on a younger Lamb and his fall to Slough House, providing a fresh narrative arc. My typical concerns with streaming series persist here: the six-episode format felt too brief, resembling a mini-series more than a traditional season. Moreover, the wait for the next installment could be lengthy, based on previous patterns. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb .

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars) Season : 3 | Aired: July 11, 2025 – September 12, 2025 Episodes : 1–10 Service/Network : Apple TV+ Season Overview This season took the top spot, closely followed by the first. The second season didn't quite hit the mark. The plot twists this season were captivating, and I'm looking forward to what comes next. The characters this season displayed more complexity and depth. It was also fascinating to see the series weave in a secular version of a trinity concept to portray the governance of an empire, a bold move considering the author's reputed atheism. Best Episodes The best episode was undoubtedly the season finale, though the preceding three or four episodes were also quite strong. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb .

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: NO SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5 stars) Episodes: 10 Quick Take After snagging a free month of Apple TV, I managed to binge-watch the second season of Silo. It was excellent. I'm really looking forward to Season 3 and hope they explore more of the backstory. Best Episodes The season finale stood out as the best episode. The whole season was truly remarkable. - Episode 10: Into the Fire This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb .

A serious medical discussion about heart treatment options between a patient and his cardiologist. This has taken me so long to post because I am still trying to process a lot of stuff and weighing a lot of pros and cons. I went to my HCM Cardiologist (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Specialist) recently. I had an ECHO first then saw him. It was not good news from the ECHO. Even though I feel no symptoms with the Camzyos, I will need to take drastic measures in the future, though the timeline wasn't really given. But my gradients are not improving. Last time my gradient at Valsalva was significantly elevated with 100% obstruction. This time it was still elevated and still 100% obstruction at Valsalva. You know that it's serious when the doctor comes in, gets close to you like he is a friend, softens their voice, and says while the medicine is keeping me symptom free, my pressures are too high and I need to start thinking of either a Septal Myectomy or an Alcohol Septal Ablat...

An engineer lost in thought, surrounded by a maze of circuits and the glow of futuristic interfaces. Lately, I’ve been swamped with projects and short on energy to tackle them, partly because of my worsening eyesight. I have glaucoma, but thankfully no loss of vision. My treatment includes twice-yearly eye pressure checks and nightly latanoprost. Even so, my glasses prescription seems to need constant updates, and I’ve always had a lot of floaters. My ophthalmologist reassures me that the floaters and eye pressure are fine, but my vision keeps changing, which is frustrating. After a recent visit to an optometrist for new glasses (an immediate improvement at first), I quickly found myself struggling again. It’s baffling how fast my eyesight shifts. This ongoing vision issue is a big reason I’m putting off other projects. Other medical concerns, like my heart health, are actually improving. I have two SunFounder Pis to build, a few minor tasks, and I’m refining my blog and social-e...

Finished reading: Did the Resurrection Happen . . . Really? by Josh McDowell 📚 Good book and a good series. I learned a lot from the series. That is the important part.

I don't typically blog about every anniversary or special date. However, I have a soft spot for "this day in history" and similar themes. Yet, some memories from my youth, like Space: 1999, truly resonate with me. Watching it on Saturday afternoons or evenings, I always thought it was an incredible show. I even bought the 30-year complete edition on DVD. For those unfamiliar with this classic series, here are the key facts: - Premiere Date (UK): September 4, 1975 - Premiere Date (US): Aired in syndication starting September 1975, with some stations airing it in prime time - Final Episode First Aired: November 12, 1977 (varying by region through 1978) - Total Number of Episodes: 48 - Number of Series (Seasons): 2 - Year One: 24 episodes (1975–1976) - Year Two: 24 episodes (1976–1977) - US Broadcast Notes: The series was syndicated in the US, meaning it aired on various local stations rather than a single national network. Episode order varied widely between r...

In a game where health and strategy collide, every move counts, and the stakes are personal. Well, I have been officially out of Camzyos for over a week. I finally got it after calling the insurance every day for a week and being told something different. It started out that the ECHO hadn't been uploaded to their portal. Message to doctor on MyChart. Sent it to the wrong cardiologist. I have 3: a cardiologist, a HOCM specialist, and an electrophysiologist. So forgive me for picking the wrong one. The message still got to where it needed to go. Didn't matter anyways, as the insurance then found another thing they didn't like on Wednesday. They didn't like the dosage the doctor ordered because they didn't think it needed to be increased because of the ECHO. So they had to reach out to the doctor. Again, another message in MyChart, same thread that I was told I messaged the wrong office. Again, got to where it needed to go. At least they are all looking at the same...