Thought of the Day

Last Updated: 2026-04-18

2026-10-21. I used a modern flip phone for a few days. It was a good experience in that I learned more about myself and my relationship to my phone. I’m post a full report soon.

2026-10-07. Midterm elections are coming! Make sure you’re registered and read up on the candidates in your area.

2026-09-18. Came across a LinkedIn post sharing the idea of asking not “is this is in my contract?” but rather “how can I be of service?”. According to the poster, that mentality opened doors for him and led to a sense of fulfillment. I do not advocate for letting yourself be taken advantage of, but the people I most admire do have a service mindset first and foremost. I just finished a convo with a student asking for TA help. Was I technically outside office hours? Yes. Did it take long to help? No. Did it mean something for that student? Definitely. And I feel good for helping.

2026-09-16. I was able to attend AREMA 2026. It’s one of three major railroad organizations but the only one with a strong student program. Met up with old friends, met new ones, and endless networking. It was fun, but I am glad to be home.

2026-09-10. It feels good to work, to always have something to do. I was worried my over-full schedule this semester would be too much, but I like knowing what I need to do next. Better than waiting for the next thing to happen.

2026-09-05. I love TIE fighters from the Star Wars Franchise. Those, and the Siths’ red lightsabers, just hit a certain aesthetics scratch for me.

2026-09-03. The first days of the semester are always a bit chaotic. Last semester, I put my day’s tasks in a weekly agenda, but that required knowing how to prioritize things. This time, I just put all my deadlines in my agenda. If I checked all my boxes for today, I am good for tomorrow. If I have more time, I can work ahead. Makes prioritizing much easier.

2026-08-22. It’s good to be home. I celebrated with a new Lego set: the V-19 Torrent, a Star Wars the Clone Wars set. I don’t have much clone wars in my collection, so it felt good to round it out a little.

2026-08-16. We’re into the last few days of our Brazil trip. The last couple months and a bit have been an absolute dream and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I got to meet family, they got to meet me, and I was able to experience Brazil in a way tourists never do.

2026-08-08. I’ve been working on a horse ranch for the MCTranspo server and tomorrow I get to ride with some cousins in a cavalgada! I’ve been looking forward to horse riding again for months and now it’ll be part of a community riding event!

2026-07-10. Finally got around to updating the colors on the site and they are much better. Eventually I add some sort of pattern to fill up the empty space on either side when the site is full screen. Could I add side bars? Yes. Do I want them? No.

2026-06-14. Second lightsaber is done! The full report and photos will come in the next couple days.

2026-06-11. There is something very satisfying to have a place (this website) to record my projects (lightsaber builds). Not only does it make it easier to share with friends and family, it also lets me savor a good project as I put together the write up and the photos.

2026-06-06. Today was spent building a lightsaber! My in-laws were super helpful and my wife took photos. I’ll post a full report once I get some better photos.

2026-06-06. One of my greatest joys in Brazil: walking to the bakery every morning with my father-in-law to get the day’s bread. The American mind cannot comprehend how rejuvenating this experience really is.

2026-04-18. The Union Pacific Big Boy is in town!!! To celebrate the end of the semester, the wife and I are taking the day to visit the Union Station in Ogden Utah and see the largest functional steam engine in the U.S.

2026-04-18. Just walked out of my final exam of the semester and feeling good about it. I am free! Now I just have to catch up on neglected house chores…

2026-04-10. Pet peeve: people dragging their feet. Hearing it brings me inordinate amounts of rage. Just pick up your feet!

2026-04-10. I am an engineer at heart and safety margins are everything. But sometimes, I think I need to take more risks. I’m too conservative.

2026-04-09. I have discovered Nathaniel and his website endtimes.dev and have loved it! I felt seen. Finally someone that gets me and the desire to busy oneself with minuscule efficiencies. Then I found his partner’s website. My friend and I were in shock at the seemingly perfect foil between their personalities. Based on their websites alone, they are my new favorite power couple.

2026-04-08. I like dithering and pixelated things. Vector graphics feel too slippery. My website feels to slippery. This website has texture. Thinking how to emulate it.

2026-04-08. It wasn’t until I arrived at university that I heard college was more than just job training. I think if he could have, my dad would have agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment and would have encouraged me to have more out-of-class experiences. I miss you, Dad.

2026-04-08. I love written text. A lot of the content I consume is in video format, primarily YouTube, but so many video essays could be just normal essays and I would like them better. There’s also the technical benefits since text is much easier to create, share, and store. Here’s hoping I can transition my consumption away from videos and towards text.

2026-04-08. I’ve been looking at a bunch of other people’s websites, they look great, and suddenly my website doesn’t look as good. Also feeling I’ve slid more towards the consumption side of the consumption-vs-creation continuum.