An “Uplyfting” Day in the Garage
On Sunday, I was in my garage trying to repair the garage door. It was a dirty, greasy project, leaving me covered in dust and cobwebs, and looking vaguely like…
MikeyP.com
Unstructured Thoughts by MikeyP
Latest posts
iPad as a "Laptop" with Logitech K480
Using the bulky Logitech K480 as a surprisingly effective lap setup to turn an iPad into a casual, sofa-friendly “laptop.”
The Minimal MacBook
I had fun bringing an obsolete MacBook Pro back to life as a fast and productive computer by adopting a Minimal MacBook Philosophy. The Minimal MacBook Philosophy Accept older macOS as a…
Sumo Exercises for Everyone
The "Sumo Kenko Taiso" are daily exercises for regular people that focus on Balance, Lower Abdominal Strength, and Backbone Stability.
Brightening a Dark Corner with Bias Lighting
In the winter, the corner of the room directly behind my computer monitor gets really dark during the daytime. At night it isn't a big deal, since lamplight works the…
A Graphic View of the US Constitution
Have you ever read the US Constitution? I mean, actually read it, start to finish? Have you tried to understand it or interpret it? When I was a kid living on…
AZIO Cascade Slim Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard
It's great to see the availability of several high-quality low-profile mechanical keyboards. These are perfect boards for people who have been using laptop keyboards for years, and want to migrate over…
Comparing RSS Readers on Mac and iOS
Last week mako \(@mako@sanjuans.life\) asked about RSS reader alternatives to Reeder 5. I cheerfully replied that I used NetNewsWire on MacOS, and Unread Premium on iOS. But later, it struck…
Updating an Old iMac from Snow Leopard
I decided to give away a functional yet very old 2010 27" iMac. Prep seemed somewhat straightforward if I followed Howard Oakley's instructions. After methodically deleting everything, I rebooted into Recovery Mode…
Polishing Frets on a Jazz Guitar
I hit upon a lucky eBay find, and managed to acquire a mid-1990's Korean-made Epiphone Howard Roberts guitar for a great price. It's a terrific jazz box, and is really fun…
Dust Control in the Garage Workshop
After years of sweeping and dusting and dozens of disposable air filter masks, I'm finally taking dust control seriously in my garage workshop. Dust control starts at the tool with a vacuum…
Unchaining the EVH Flanger Pedal
I used a Boss BF-2 flanger pedal for years. It's a great pedal, especially if you can find one of the older Japanese-made models. But it could never really do that over-the-top…
Raising the Aeron
Almost every high-tech startup in the Bay Area outfits their office with Herman Miller Aeron chairs. And as some of the startups inevitably go out of business, the Aeron chairs hit the…
Suntory Yamazaki Whisky
The Uncrate "buyers guide for men" has discovered one of my favorite beverages. Here's what Uncrate has to say: Born from the pure waters of the Vale of Yamazaki and handcrafted at Japan's oldest distillery,…
Komo Store Kona Coffee
Every time I visit the Big Island of Hawaii, I buy fresh Kona coffee. I love driving through Holualoa and Captain Cook, where you can buy freshly roasted coffee right from the…
John Pearse Guitar Strings
When I got my new Breedlove guitar last year, I ordered my usual set of Thomastik-Infeld strings from JustStrings.com (my favorite place to buy strings). Unfortunately, the brand that works so well on…
Tucano WorkOut Minimalist Laptop Bag
With the iPhone replacing my iPod, cel phone, PDA, and camera (for casual use), and with my switch from older, clunky laptops to the svelt MacBook Air, I decided to…
Miter Saw Laser Guide
I love my old Delta Compound Miter saw. I have a fairly basic model, but it does what it is designed to do: make straight cuts at measured angles. But with basic…
A New Axe to Grind
For the past few months, I've been looking for a nice-sounding concert-sized acoustic guitar. I have a fine Takamine Dreadnought, but the size is uncomfortably large for me to have in…
Roland CUBE 30 Speaker Upgrade
I decided to shop around for a lightweight guitar amp, and the Roland CUBE 30X hit the sweet spot perfectly. Very affordable at under $250, the amp has a 10" speaker,…
Shiny Guitar Frets
After neglecting my Takamine acoustic guitar for a few years, the frets became tarnished and dull. Many guitarists would recommend rubbing steel wool against the frets to polish them up, but…
EVH 90 Phase Shifter Pedal
I received a much-coveted MXR EVH 90 Phase Shifter guitar pedal as a birthday gift. Wow, this pedal really rocks! You can totally get the Van Halen Atomic Punk sound, as…
The Non-Designers Design Book
I have no formal training in typography or page layout design, but as someone who needs to constantly communicate and pitch ideas, page layout design is really important to me. A…
Founders at Work
I saw the book Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days as a recommendation on Guy Kawasaki's blog. This is a big book containing dozens of interviews with people who…
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Over the past year or two, I've rediscovered a love for comics and graphic novels. But I can't stand most super hero comics, so I usually gravitate toward the independent and…
Afforable Pressure Washer
With a house on the northern slope of a hill, I need to pressure wash my siding and decks annually. Of course, I haven't actually done this in five years, so…
Peopleware
The always interesting blog Cool Tools recommended a book called Peopleware. The book describes just how screwed up managers and management processes tend to be at software companies. The book basically states…
Replacing a Norelco Beard Trimmer
I've been using a Norelco Maverick T-1000 beard trimmer for several years. It is a durable, battery-powered trimmer that has an easy-to-clean trimmer head. You just press a button and the trimmer…