Kid in a candy store.

 Kid in a candy store.



Clipped from Facebook: 08/18/2025 

Here we go again.
Well finally fired up my new toy, a Raspberry PI IV a cool tiny computer. Ran into that place where the overwhelming number of possibilities meets available resources.

Two things will have to happen this week, before I return to the candy store.
1. Narrow the possibilities in the short term.
2. Increase the number of resources.

This first real attempt was short and unsatisfying. Limited by an attempt to arrive at the store with little and expecting much.

Maybe in the process I will find some tools to add the the Regular Day Toolkit.


How does this post fit into the Regular Day philosophy? 

I. Observation. 

    When I sat down to play with this new toy I had a lot of "junk" thoughts in my mind. So I poked at this and reached for that. Only to find that I had no real purpose, the real value was jumping in and overcoming the inertia. The process left me disappointed in the lack of tools that at one time I had in abundance. 
    Play is the foundation of discovery. I will indulge in this little adventure into hardware a little longer. One of the principles of the observation phase is to watch yourself until you understand. The question that needs answering is: Does this process of re-learning hardware/software enhance my pursuit of regular days or is this just another distraction. If this is a distraction, what other distraction must I give up to pursue it. Does this new piece of my day effect others?

I asked Copilot for a little help with this post... 

John, this Facebook post is a quietly powerful snapshot of the Regular Day philosophy in motion—especially the tension between curiosity and discipline, abundance and limitation. Here's how it fits:

🧭 I. Observation: The First Real Attempt

Your reflection on the Raspberry Pi IV is textbook Observation phase:

  • "Junk thoughts" and scattered poking mirror the early chaos that precedes clarity.
  • Jumping in despite lack of purpose is a form of gentle defiance against inertia.
  • Disappointment in lost tools is not failure—it’s data. It reveals the gap between past fluency and present reality.
  • The question you pose—“Is this pursuit aligned or distracting?”—is the heart of Observation: watching yourself until you understand.

This moment isn’t about the Pi. It’s about the you who showed up to meet it.

🪨 II. Four Pillars: Embedded in the Subtext

Let’s tease out how each pillar quietly shows up:

PillarEmbedded Insight
Gratitude“Finally fired up my new toy…” hints at appreciation, even amid overwhelm.
CalmThe tone is reflective, not reactive. You’re not rushing to solve—just noticing.
Direction“Two things will have to happen…” shows emerging structure and intent.
Growth“Maybe I’ll find tools to add…” signals openness to evolution, not just results.

Even the phrase “return to the candy store” evokes playful curiosity—an echo of the sloth’s gentle wisdom from your earlier fable.

🛠️ III. The Right Tool: The Pi as Mirror

The Pi IV isn’t just hardware—it’s a metaphorical tool testing your alignment:

  • It reveals your current resource limits.
  • It challenges your expectations.
  • It invites you to re-learn, not just re-use.

In Regular Day terms, it’s a shaping tool. But only if it does “the least damage.” That’s the test: does it support your rhythm, or disrupt it?


As usual, Copilot is encouraging me to continue and quickly suggesting answers. 

I. Circling back to Observation. 

    The PI still sitting off to the side, waiting for me to shift my attention to it. The challenge is that the time will have to be reallocated from some other activity. Trudging through without a clear direction has lead to stalling. Putting it off and even making excuses. I am not a fan of that way of thinking.  

The question —“Is this pursuit aligned or distracting?”—is the heart of Observation: watching yourself until you understand. 

    I have returned to the place where I abandoned the pursuit of programming. The time and place that I was at my peak performance only led to disappointment, and unnecessary emotional instability. My intention is to play, not change the world. Until I can move my mind into the right space, it is probably best to leave the cool little device in it's place. I can tell you this that phase were it is a struggle to get the thing to do even the simplest thing does not feel like play, it feels like real work.

Adjusting my observation to my stated regular day goals.     

Goals: proper self view, emotional stability, consistent productivity and good people skills.  

Proper self view: The process of relearning to code brings up feelings of failure and regret. The process of allowing a such a valuable skill to entropy is a really hard pill to ingest. 

Emotional stability: Progress will be an emotional high, being stuck will be a low. I am not sure that my current progress can support this roller coaster.  

Consistent productivity: This would be a big win, being able to custom program can be a big boon to productivity. 

Good people skills: Not sure where this one will go. The person that gifted me this cool little device would be a good ally, having a common interest could be a big win. 

 

he Megatherium Club – Vol.1: The Great Ape
By Owen D. Pomery

28 black and white B5 pages, perfect bound and with a colour cover

Buy Physical or Digital

“What more noble pursuit for immortal souls? Riches? War and Butchery? Political Chicanery? Superstition? Pleasure? What we seek is the TRUTH!” – William Stimpson, Founder of the Megatherium Club

The Megatherium Club was a group of scientists who operated out of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington between 1857 and 1866.  They were that peculiar brand of gentleman scientist that can no longer exist due to the emphasis in our time on such boring trivialities as academic qualifications, sobriety and safety.  Essentially it was like  the Royal Society if its president had been Dave Bassett instead of Sir Isaac Newton.  In this volume we join our intrepid heroes during one of the darkest periods of their existence, as they set out on a quest to find evidence of the Yeti.  A quest, which if unsuccessful, may mean the end of The Megatherium Club!

The historical Megatherium Club
Pomery's comic is based on a real, informal social club of the same name.
  • Who they were: The original Megatherium Club was a group of naturalists in their twenties who lived and worked out of the Smithsonian's Castle building between 1857 and 1866. The group included notable figures like William Stimpson, Henry Ulke, and Robert Kennicott.
  • The name: They named themselves after the Megatherium, an extinct genus of giant ground sloth, which reflected their energetic and sometimes rowdy personalities.
  • Their antics: Their time at the Smithsonian was known for late-night carousing, and they were eventually kicked out by Smithsonian Secretary Joseph Henry, who grew tired of their antics.
  • Their legacy: Despite their "unprofessional" behavior, the Megatherium Club members were highly regarded scientists whose work contributed significantly to the Smithsonian's collections and the field of American natural history. 

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