I’m inspired every time I hear people describe how they capture ideas in real time. Jesse Buckley, star of the critically acclaimed Hamnet, explains to Stacey Wilson Hunt how she writes down things she hears and sees. And how when she performs, she’s able to draw on those thoughts …
I make a few (no more than 10) posts on my microblog every week. I’m impressed at how easy it is because I use a Samsung phone to make most of my meanderings on it. It’s interesting for me to see that people read what I share. Last week, a lot of people were very intrigued by what I …
Two teens sit in the background of many things I do. Like when we’re rearranging the kitchen table to for a big Sunday dinner.
Lydia Polgreen in the New York Times asks people what kind of American they are. Accommodationist? Aggressor? Resistor?
We did our bit for US tourism by flying to California during the Christmas break. We dumped more than $7000 into the American economy during our week there. The numbers are in for 2025 and the United States is missing out on a key stream of foreign revenue. It was estimated that the economic impact …
I’m following the chess game that the US House Oversight Committee is playing with the Clintons. In case you missed it because of the ICE homicide cases unfolding in America, Bill and Hillary Clinton just signed a legalese letter that will put pause to the Republicans in Congress and unleash …
Getting good advice from a Veed webinar about making better mobile journalism.
I’m following the chess game that the US House Oversight Committee is playing with the Clintons. In case you missed it because of the ICE homicide cases unfolding in America, Bill and Hillary Clinton just signed a legalese letter that will put pause to the Republicans in Congress and unleash …
I teach “AI for Personal Productivity” with the Irish Innovation Skillnet where we have hands-on exercises using Google Workspace. Cue discussions about privacy, security, and frameworks.
I have a set of hard cover notebooks containing ideas. I call it Vibe Journaling and I want to see if I can connect pages in the books with instructional designer Frances O’Donnell.
I discovered Punya Mishra’s blog after hearing him share his expertise with educators in Valencia, Spain, in early 2025. Punya shares a story that goes back to 1918 in a short fable that Tagore wrote called “The Parrot’s Tale”.
There is something fractal about rest. Looking back on my own experiences, I think having several short breaks beat having elongated holidays.
I jumped into Nick Milo’s Ideaverse and got a new look with my primary Obsidian vault as well as a new Home Note for my daily flow. The most significant result is that I’ve reduced scrolling into the land of trolls and I’ve increased the depth of my reading.
An ebike with range as good as a small EV: www.youtube.com/watch
Finally clearing my desk so I can finish 23 Obsidian Hub lessons with Nick Milo.
I consult my Whoop app to see how my body is doing. Nine days ago, coughing and wheezing, I returned back to Ireland from Portlandia. According to the medical grade fitness tracker on my wrist, I am fully recovered. You can find my meandering audio log snippets as ‘Topgold Audio Clips’ …
Thirty years ago, I was a simple code cutter. I had a fat HTML encyclopedia and new clients every month, some who would pay more than 500 Irish pounds for each web page. I had a poster like the image at the top of this post. Life was simple in the days before Wordpress.Today I watch programmers with …
I first started making regular blog posts in 1996, toggling between Live Journal and Radio Userland. There is a real joy when you can create and share from a mobile phone. In the late 90s I used a Nokia Communicator. Today I have a much smaller Samsung Galaxy that also serves as a lighrweight audio …
Jamelle Bouie breaks down the sickness affecting American democracy. “You need look only at the last 25 years of American political life to see that this country is unwilling, and thus unable, to hold its political elites responsible for anything, from illegal wars to fraud and other forms of …
Introducing Irish-born son to a Full American Breakfast
I have been listening to Alastair McDermott for decades. He spotlightd the need for soft skills in our tech world. Alastair spent a lot of 2025 explaining that Al will eliminate jobs. Alastair also shared his ideas for how people can stay relevant and resilient with Al. It means honing critical …
While flying for more than 12 hours today, I realise I should take advantage of special access with British Airways–not because I feel entitled but because some of those privileges would smooth out the check-in sequence for the family. Dylan (14) and I sailed through baggage drop and passport …
This past month I worked with a Ukrainian couple who live with their twin daughters in Clonmel. He is a carpenter. She is a trainer. I am glad I met them. A report in November 2025 from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed 119,043 personal public service (PPS) numbers have been …
I believe the best multi-generational Christmas gift in our home wasn’t the drum kit Dylan (14) received. It was the midnight blue Roberts Radio that aRuth got. That’s because I saw the eyes of my octagenarian in-laws light up when they saw and heard its multi-room sound and as they …
Like every Christmas, we have more noise and more warmth than on a typical December day. This Christmas we have the grandparents staying over for two nights. That’s disconcerting for one of our cats (Luna in the photo) who cannot claim the chairs she uses as her beds throughout the day.