I tend to look at technology through the lens of resilience. Working as a Systems Engineer in a public safety environment, I’ve learned that "uptime" isn’t just a goal—it’s a requirement. That high-stakes mindset follows me home, where I spend my time breaking and building things in my lab to figure out how to make them more secure and efficient. My approach to engineering is heavily influenced by my time with Sacramento CERT. In emergency management, you learn to appreciate the value of clear documentation and systems that don’t fail when things get chaotic. I try to bring that same "boots on the ground" pragmatism to everything I write, whether it’s about cybersecurity, virtualization, or self-hosting. What I’m currently focused on: Local AI & LLMs: I’m big on digital sovereignty. I spend a lot of time configuring local models like Gemma and Qwen on my Dell T3610, exploring how we can use AI without sacrificing privacy. Infrastructure: From managing VMware environments to self-hosting with Nextcloud, I’m a fan of knowing exactly where my data lives and how it’s protected. Cybersecurity: Between my committee work and my recent deep dives into InfoSec, I’m constantly looking for better ways to harden systems against modern threats. When I’m not at a terminal, I’m usually operating under my Amateur Radio license (KO6JKE). There is a certain crossover between the Ham Radio world and systems engineering—both require a love for troubleshooting and a bit of a "tinkerer" soul. I’m here to share what I’m learning, document my projects, and hopefully help other tech professionals build more resilient systems.