When I was looking into nifty Raspberry Pi projects, I stumbled across the PirateBox project. The website describes it well: PirateBox is a DIY anonymous offline file-sharing and communications system built with free software and inexpensive off-the-shelf hardware. In other words, it’s a bit of preconfigured software you can run on a Raspberry Pi that lets folks chat, […]
Author Archives: Michael Arestad
Pondering acronyms
I work for a tech company. I have worked for the government. In both places acronym usage is abundant. In both places, acronyms rarely help achieve clarity. I noticed some acronym patterns and, like everyone else on the planet, I have opinions on how their formatting could be improved. tl;dr (too long; didn’t read): Acronyms […]
Raspberry machines
I’m writing this on a Raspberry Pi. It has a 2.5 inch screen and my keyboard is some kind of cheap tiny wireless thing with a track pad that more closely resembles a game controller than a keyboard. Please forgive my brevity or typos. In addition to composing on a small screen, Chromium has a […]
Heading to BC
Last year Stephane and I took our Jeeps from Montreal to Whistler. This year we met up in Calgary and have about a week to get there. This means we’re taking the scenic route. We also have additional adventurers. Keya and my dog, Zag, are making the trek with us! Follow our progress here.
Improving the WordPress experience
This is a copy of a post I initially wrote for a8c design. The experience of creating a WordPress site can vary wildly. Occasionally, I hear how someone set it up without any major roadblocks. I more often witness nightmare-level setup experiences. Together, with help from the community and hosts, we’re working to improve the […]
Cactus Consequences: Ojo Caliente, Sante Fe, and Albuquerque
Ojo Caliente During our stop in Ojo Caliente, we headed up the road behind the hot springs and found some nice gnarly roads to bike on with Zag. We ended up by a neat mica mine. I had never seen mica grow that thick before. Zag also got a couple minor lessons about what cactus […]
Highlights: Colorado Springs, Buena Vista, UFO Watchtower
Colorado Springs Keya, Zag, and I headed down to Colorado Springs to visit my sister, Kristen. She took us on a hike in the Red Rock Canyon Open space. It’s a beautiful meandering set of loops that can be extended if your group is up for it. It looks like the open space would be […]
Jeep gear update: getting taller and more capable
I have now taken my Jeep about 36,000 miles in just over a year and I’m getting ready to head out on another several month long journey. Here’s how my current gear is holding up along with some new upgrades. New goodies I finally finally FINALLY got my Gobi Ranger rack installed. I have been […]
Buckskin Gulch
About a month ago, Keya and I hopped into my Jeep and headed down to Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin Gulch is the longest slot canyon in the USA and runs into the Paria river. It’s located on the border of Utah and Arizona. Getting to it can be done in any vehicle since most of the […]
The UFO Watchtower and the Great Sand Dunes
Keya and I headed south to check out the Great Sand Dunes National Park a couple weeks ago. On the way, Keya asked if I had been to the “alien place” near the dunes. There is no better way to peak my interest than by mentioning aliens. While I was driving, she loaded up the website […]