Archive

The Friday after Thanksgiving always feels weird. Sometimes my brain says “It’s Sunday” and the rest of the time it remembers it’s Friday and I still have a whole weekend ahead!

New pin day! Gottlieb’s Mars God of War has joined the family. #pinball

The Grand Slam 10k score reel is working! Next up is some work to get the mechanical components nice and clean and then some work to get all the lamps shining properly. #pinball

Ok parents, tell me your secrets for wrangling kid socks. These things are EVERYWHERE except the laundry basket. #parenting

Tonight we’re troubleshooting some sound issues. There are a few switches that aren’t generating sounds like they should—primarily my flippers, which should be making a blaster sound on coil fire.

Back to the Space Invaders pin for a bit! I got my NVRAM installed, which is a corrosion-free way to store settings and high score data. For context, when this game was released in 1980, it came with batteries, but over time those can leak and really mess up the boards. #pinball

Next up is the 10k score reel, which is having some weird problems. It’s not rolling over correctly and for some reason the coil is active at all times. Gonna dig into that soon! #pinball

Replaced the coil, (re)adjusted a few switches and we’re back in action! #pinball

Time to replace the hold relay coil. This one basically just fell out. See that plastic piece on the bottom? That’s supposed to extend out much further and that’s where the wires would be soldered on. This one is very old (maybe the original from 1972!) and definitely due to be replaced. …

So good news is it appears you have not been spammed by a ton of old blog posts. Bad news is a lot of my image links need repair, so guess I’m doing that tomorrow!

I’m going to attempt to import all my previous blog posts from other platforms so if you see a ton of stuff from me: 1. please read it because it’s awesome and so are you and 2. I’m sorry for the spamming

The magnetic parts tray is easily a Top 10 invention

Are slugs just homeless snails?

Fixing this during some breaks today. This is the tens score reel and it’s not resetting. First step is to disassemble and clean, then we’ll see what comes next.

Where are all my #pinball folks at? Players, collectors, fixers, let’s chat! For context I’ve got 2 at home, Space Invaders (‘80 SS) and Grand Slam (‘72 EM). Space Invaders plays well but I need to get it fully shopped, and just got Grand Slam so it needs some reel reset work …

I made it!: Day 1, post 1 of my micro blog! Hi everyone, I’m Sean. I am consistently inconsistent when it comes to blogging and social posting. When I do post something, it will probably be about sports, family, Chicago, pinball, books, or some really bad dad jokes. You may occasionally see some of my …

Book Review of The Art Thief, Or How to Steal Beauty Without Selling a Thing: There are books that surprise you with their cleverness, and there are books that haunt you because of the questions they leave behind. Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief somehow manages to do both. When I picked it up, I expected a standard true crime account with museum break-ins, a clever criminal, …

My First Pinball Machine, My New Obsession: There’s a special kind of thrill in buying something that doesn’t just work the moment you bring it home. Most of today’s gadgets come sealed and sterile, optimized for convenience. You push a button and they do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Reliable, yes. Exciting, not so much. Pinball, …

How a Family Board Game Became the Perfect Metaphor for Inequality: When Lizzie Magie patented The Landlord’s Game in 1903, she intended it as a critique of land monopolies. Her “prosperity rules” promoted fair taxation and shared wealth, while the “monopoly rules” demonstrated how inequality spirals out of control. By the time Parker Brothers mass-marketed Charles …

The Lost Art of Not Being Available: There used to be a magic to being offline. A kind of sacred disconnection. When someone said they were “offline,” it didn’t mean they were on airplane Wi-Fi or set to Do Not Disturb. It meant they were gone. Unreachable. In their own world, or maybe someone else’s. Out fishing. On a bike ride. …

Book Review: We’ve Got to Try—and Keep Trying: I was born and raised in Texas, which means voting has always felt like a mix of responsibility, ritual, and—if I’m being honest—frustration. I’ve stood in long lines at polling places where half the machines didn’t work, watched friends walk away because they didn’t have the “right” ID, and …

Nighthawks at Home: A few weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting The Art Institute of Chicago. One painting I was looking forward to seeing was Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. I'm regularly drawn to and awed by this painting. Here's why. My wife and I moved to Chicago in late 2019. When we moved to the city, it felt …

There’s No Such Thing as Left and Right in Space: If you’re on Earth, “left” and “right” feel as real as your own hands.[1] They’re constants in your mental map, always ready for quick navigation: turn left at the corner, the remote is on your right, pass me the salt on the left. But those words are actually fragile little conveniences, bound …

Why Do Airplanes Look Like That?: If aliens ever studied Earth from afar, there’s a good chance they’d think we worship the airplane. These sleek metal birds dart across the sky in orderly formations, leaving white streaks behind them like signatures on the heavens. But beyond their visual grace, airplanes are functional …

Learning to Be Wrong: There’s something quietly radical about saying the words “I was wrong.” In a culture that prizes certainty, expertise, and fast takes, admitting error feels like breaking character. It can make you seem weak, indecisive, or, worst of all, uninformed. But what if the opposite were true? …

The Strange Comfort of Typing Over Writing: There was a time when my handwriting had personality. It wasn’t good, but it had quirks. Loops and slants and occasional flourishes that made it mine. Now, if I pick up a pen, the letters stumble out like they’re still waking up. It’s like my hand forgot how to talk without a keyboard as the …

The Most Useful Concept You’ve Never Heard Of: Ever walked up to a door, pulled when you should have pushed, and felt that brief flash of embarrassment? Maybe even muttered something under your breath like, “Well that was dumb,” as you realize the sign says otherwise. But here’s the thing: that wasn’t your fault. It was the door’s fault. Or more …

What We Know and How We Know It: A mechanic tightens a bolt just enough so that it holds firm but never snaps. A grandmother tells a story that makes more sense than any textbook. A manager jots down how to reboot a legacy system no one touches anymore. These are all examples of knowledge—but not the same kind. The way we know …

Seeing the Future with Second-Order Thinking: In an era obsessed with speed and simplicity, most decisions are made at the surface level. We optimize for immediacy, for first impressions, for what feels right in the moment. But under the surface of every choice lies a chain of consequences, many of which we fail to see until they unfold. …

What Is Aesthetics? The Philosophy of Beauty and Art: Why does a piece of music give you chills? Why do people argue over abstract paintings or obsess over the perfect photograph of their morning coffee? These moments seem small, but they tap into something profound. Beneath every gasp at a sunset or debate over a film’s merit lies a deep, often …

What is Systems Thinking and How Can I Use it Today?: Systems thinking is a powerful mindset for understanding the world not as a series of isolated events, but as an interconnected web of relationships and influences. It invites us to see complexity clearly, to grasp how seemingly unrelated parts can work together, and to identify how small changes …

The Airport as a Microcosm of Human Systems: Every time I walk through an airport, I’m struck by the choreography of it all: families juggling suitcases, business travelers pacing during calls, signage trying to cut through a fog of fatigue and urgency. It’s easy to think of airports as simply functional infrastructure—a way to get from point …

How Aviation Embodies the Spirit of Continuous Exploration: There is something timeless and universal about humanity’s fascination with flight. From the moment people could look up and see birds soaring above them, the desire to join them became more than a fantasy—it became a calling. Flight has always symbolized freedom, ingenuity, and a kind of sublime …

What Game Designers Know that Corporate Leaders Forget: Corporate leaders are told to be data-driven, customer-centric, and agile. They’re told to empower teams, drive engagement, and lead through uncertainty. But walk into most organizations and the experience often feels the opposite: top-down decisions, clunky processes, vague goals, and disengaged …

The Curse of Expertise: We tend to assume that the smartest people—the domain experts, the senior engineers, the seasoned leaders—are naturally the best ones to explain how things work. They’re the ones who know the system inside and out. But here’s the paradox: often, the more someone knows, the harder it becomes for them …

Book Review: Measure What Matters by John Doerr: As a manager and people leader, I’m constantly searching for frameworks that bring structure without stifling creativity—tools that can align a team around shared goals while still empowering individuals to own their work. In Measure What Matters, John Doerr offers exactly that. Drawing on decades …

The Paradox of Choice: In today's consumer-driven society, the abundance of choices is often celebrated as a hallmark of freedom and personal autonomy. From the myriad brands of cereal lining supermarket shelves to the endless array of streaming content at our fingertips, the modern individual is inundated with options. …

Why Do We Stick to QWERTY Keyboards?: The QWERTY keyboard layout has been the standard for over a century, despite the existence of alternative designs that claim to be faster, more ergonomic, and more efficient. From mechanical typewriters to modern touchscreen devices, QWERTY remains the default input method for billions of people …

What Makes a Pen Comfortable to Write With?: Despite the rise of digital technology, pens remain an essential tool for writing, sketching, and note-taking. Whether signing documents, journaling, or taking lecture notes, the right pen can make a significant difference in comfort and writing quality. But what exactly makes a pen feel comfortable …

The 48-Hour Rule: Here’s something I’ve learned the hard way: if a problem spans more than 48 hours, there’s a good chance I won’t solve it. Not because I can’t, or because I don’t want to—but because, by then, the mental thread I was following is gone. The context, the details, the little insights I had? Lost. I …

The Psychology of Color in Product Design: Color is one of the most powerful tools in product design, influencing how we perceive and interact with everyday items. Whether it's the toothpaste we choose in the morning, the phone case we carry throughout the day, or the kitchen appliances that fill our homes, color plays a key role in shaping …

The Science of Luck: Luck is a concept that has fascinated humans for centuries, influencing everything from gambling strategies to business decisions and even personal relationships. But is luck a genuine force at work in the universe, or is it merely an illusion created by probability and psychology? In this post, we …

How Music Affects Your Brain: We’ve all had moments when the right song seems to supercharge our focus, lift our mood, or even make tedious tasks feel more enjoyable. But can the right playlist actually make you smarter? Science suggests that music has a powerful effect on the brain—enhancing memory, boosting concentration, and …

Lost Technologies of the Ancient World: Throughout history, civilizations have demonstrated astonishing technological achievements, some of which remain unexplained to this day. From precision-cut stone structures to advanced metallurgy, ancient peoples developed techniques that modern science struggles to fully replicate. These so-called …

The Truth The Color of Law Forces Us to Confront: Reading The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein is a gut-punch. It’s not that I didn’t know segregation was intentional, but seeing the extent to which the government actively created and enforced it—and how deeply those policies still shape our society today—is infuriating. This wasn’t about private …

The Enduring Mystery of Eels: A Deep Dive into The Book of Eels: Few creatures have captivated human curiosity like the eel. Slippery, secretive, and seemingly otherworldly, the eel has puzzled scientists, inspired mythologies, and formed deep cultural and personal connections across generations. In The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most …

From Secession to Insurrection: The Demon of Unrest and America’s Repeating History: Erik Larson’s The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War offers a deeply researched and gripping narrative of the five months leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. By focusing on the political calculations, ideological rigidity, and outright …

The Neuroscience of Curiosity: Curiosity is a fundamental force in human nature, driving innovation, learning, and discovery. From childhood exploration to scientific breakthroughs, curiosity propels us to seek out new information and make sense of the world. But what is happening in our brains when we feel curious? …

The Secret Lives of Everyday Objects: Have you ever paused to consider the objects that surround you? The ones we use without a second thought, like paperclips, zippers, or lightbulbs? These mundane items, while seemingly ordinary, are packed with fascinating histories and surprising facts. If you're curious, keep reading! The Paperclip …

The Art of Asking Questions: Unlocking the Power of Curiosity: Life often feels like a series of interconnected mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Each situation—whether it’s a problem to solve, a decision to make, or an opportunity to explore—carries hidden layers of insight. The key to uncovering these layers? Asking the right questions. At the heart of …

But Really, How Clean is Your Desk?: I have the best of intentions with my workspace. I imagine a neat setup with only the things I need—nothing more. But let’s be honest: that’s not always how it plays out. Before I know it, I’ve got a small graveyard of coffee cups, tangled cables, and random stuff I pulled out of my backpack. If …

My Top 4 Books of 2024: 2024 was another solid year for my reading list. I read a total of 23 books and while not all of them have stuck with me, a few have. Here’s my breakdown of the four books that hit me the hardest this year—and why I think they should be on your radar too. Extra Focus by Jesse J. Anderson Whoa. This …

Journaling Works, I Think: I'm not so good at most self-care things. I don't eat as healthy as I should, I need to exercise more, and meditation and therapy are foreign concepts. I have a hard time focusing on myself when I spend so much energy focusing on everything else in my life. Maybe that's my ADHD, I don't know. I tend …

The Time Trustee: Hey there, leaders! Grab a seat and let's have a chat about something that's been on my mind lately: time management in leadership. It's one of those things that we often talk about but don't always really dive into. Well, today, inspired by a nugget of wisdom I picked up on the HBR IdeaCast …

Book Review: Extra Focus by Jesse J. Anderson: Whoa, this one really resonated with me. Extra Focus by Jesse J. Anderson centers on the topic of adult ADHD. I don't think there has been a single book I've read that had me nodding my head in agreement on nearly every page. Jesse gives us a better understanding of what ADHD is (trying to do …

Playing with Local AI Image Generation: Isn't he cute?! This little guy was generated by Fooocus, which feels like a perfectly blended mashup of Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. For those that haven't heard of any of these, they are all AI image generation tools that allow you to create images from text. Both Stable Diffusion and …

Mapping the Trail: I run into the following scenario occasionally: there's a problem or inefficiency and I have a decent idea of where the ideal - or at least better - future state is. I can see where this thing should be. The hard part is figuring out the steps needed to get us from here to there. My crude diagram of …

Book Review: Going Infinite by Michael Lewis: Michael Lewis has done it again! In his latest rollercoaster of a book, Going Infinite, he takes us on a thrilling journey through the crazy world of crypto and, boy, is it a wild ride! Let me tell you, if you thought his previous books were mind-blowing, you haven't seen anything yet. First off, …

Being a Curious Dummy: I was talking to my wife the other day and I think I've come up with a term that I'll start using to describe myself in a number of scenarios. I'm a curious dummy. Often, I don't know much about a particular topic. That was the case the other day. Here's the story: We were on the way to the …

Book review: Think Again by Adam Grant: Adam Grant's "Think Again" is by far one of my favorite reads in recent memory. In this thought-provoking book, Grant doesn't just challenge our beliefs; he reshapes the very way we approach decision-making, a transformation with profound implications for large organizations and their leaders. …

Check Out Then Check In: Every now and then I find myself in an emotional spiral. While complete and constant self-awareness will never come naturally to me, I have at times used a technique that helps me escape and reset. I'm sure there's some long-known psychology term for this, but I call it my check out / check in …

ChatGPT is Bad at Math: Like most people on the planet, I've been using ChatGPT lately. It has been really neat to learn how this technology works and how to interact with it for best results. I've also been taking a mathematics class at the local college and I thought I would try out a few of the homework problems with …

What to Write: I have a blog. Since you're here, it's pretty clear that you know this. I've had a blog for awhile now. I've also had absolutely no direction when it comes to what content or value my blog provides. What should I write? Should I write? I feel like I know a little about a lot of things, but there are …

Book review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is an exceptional book that explores the complex relationships between two childhood friends and their shared passion for video game design. The book is a stunning achievement that delves deep into the world of game design and provides a fresh …

The Eroding Foundation of Truth in America: Truth, a necessary building block in any society, is eroding and splintering in the United States of America. Truth is a fundamental expectation within a society. If that society cannot determine and agree on what is true, economic and cultural progress will be difficult if not elusive. …

Book review: The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston: The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston is a captivating read that digs into the world of anthropology and exploration. The book tells the story of an expedition to Honduras in search of a lost city that is believed to be the home of an ancient civilization. The journey is led by a team …

The Problem of Evil: The problem of evil is a reconciliation of the existence of evil with a God that is benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient. If an all-knowing, all-powerful, wholly good God exists, why is there evil in the universe? If God has these traits, why has he allowed evil to exist? This is an important …

The Misinformation Superhighway: In the 1990s the internet was regularly called the Information Superhighway, most notably by former Vice-President Al Gore. The internet was being discussed as a way to connect millions of people to others and anything they could imagine: shopping, encyclopedias, massive piles of data, even their …

Capitalism: Reassessing Through the Lens of Utilitarianism: Capitalism was once thought of to bring a country into a prosperous era, and in many ways it has. However, it is now becoming apparent that this economic system has many negative side-effects. Capitalism significantly rewards business owners and job creators but tends to …

The Mind-Body Problem: Relating to Oneself: The mind-body problem is the philosophical problem of how our minds and bodies relate to one another. This is important because it attempts to answer the questions of consciousness and what it means to be human. There are two primary beliefs within the mind-body problem, dualism and …

Book review: Longitude by Dava Sobel: Longitude by Dava Sobel is a well-written and expertly researched book that tells the story of John Harrison and his quest to solve one of the greatest scientific challenges of his time: determining longitude at sea. The book is both a history of the problem of longitude and a biography of Harrison, …

Book review: The Address Book by Dierdre Mask: The Address Book by Deirdre Mask is a thought-provoking read that delves into the history and meaning of addresses. Mask expertly guides the reader through the evolution of addresses, from ancient times to the present day, and how they have shaped the way we interact with the world around us. One …

Book review: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City is two stories expertly weaved together. The first story is the tale of the Devil - H.H. Holmes, a con artist and one of America's first serial killers. Holmes had quite the twisted story - insurance fraud, unethical medical experiments, bigamy, and murder are just a …

Book review: The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi: In The Consuming Fire, Scalzi builds on a fun, fast, political story of an empire nearing ruin. If you haven't, I recommend reading The Collapsing Empire first. Not only does this story pick up just moments after the first book but I feel that neither of these work well as stand-alone novels. These …

Book review: American Kingpin by Nick Bilton: Nick Bilton's American Kingpin is a spellbinding journey into the dark and intriguing world of the Silk Road, a notorious online marketplace that pushed the boundaries of technology, liberty, and morality. This gripping true crime narrative takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through the rise and …

Book review: Airframe by Michael Crichton: Michael Crichton’s Airframe delivers a relentless blend of suspense, technical precision, and corporate drama that grips from the first chapter and doesn’t let go. Set within the complex and often opaque world of aviation manufacturing, the novel follows a high-stakes investigation into a …

No Man's Sky is Back: A very cold planet in No Mans SkyWell, it never really left. I'm the one that left. I loved the space exploration part but that got old pretty fast. I played it on PS4 when it came out and it felt a bit shallow and underwhelming. Now I'm starting over on the Xbox One X and I have to admit, the 4K …

The Great Outdoors: Last week my wife and I took a vacation. We spent 5 full days (along with 2 days worth of driving) in the mountains of Colorado fishing, hiking, reading, relaxing, and generally decompressing. Going through my day-to-day routine might bring consistency, but it also can wear me down after a while. …