make. break. in no particular order.

My name is Andy and I make lots of random stuff. Read more about me on the About page.

What's New, You Ask?

I've released a tiny little macOS menubar utility I use to quickly swap my SSH config files between different environments or use cases. It's called Sshwitch.

Side note: On this website, I am using the super-cool Input font for this site. If you write code and you want to use it for your code editor, grab it here: https://input.djr.com/

Latest Blog Articles

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
📆 Dec 30. 2025
📁 Computer Stuff

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

My thoughts on the CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed
📆 Mar 23. 2020
📁 Uncategorized

The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed

Designing and building a massive 192 sq ft workshop shed.

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)
📆 Oct 12. 2016
📁 Uncategorized

Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)

A generic device for... testing fitness trackers. Yeah, testing.

Photo Parade!

Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown
What makes a Maker tick?
AVR Serial Communications Using XBee RF Modules
Charlieplexing MORE LEDs (20, to be exact)
Hack the SparkFun Big Red Dome Button!
FitBit Contest at meltmedia - No Cheat-O-Matic
Bourbon Bottle Chandelier - Bluetooth, Dimmable, Hand-crafted
DIY Cornhole Game Set
Desktop Warp Core - The Early Years
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Electronics and Hack Workbench
Fitbit Cheat-O-Matic 2: 3D Printed Mechanical Simplicity
meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
Electronics Workbench LED Upgrade
Backyard Propane Fire Pit, Pavers and Outhouse Project
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Easy DIY PVC Poolside Towel Rack
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Fix Missing Comments Problem in Notepad WordPress Theme
The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Turn a Servo Into an Inexpensive Geared Motor
meltmedia meltHack-A-Palooza V: The Lost Pushbutton
Charlieplexing LEDs with an AVR ATmega328
Stripe - Card Processing for Developers
Home-Aged Bourbon YUM!
Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)
Lipstick Camera Turned Video Microscope
iPotti #2: After a Number One, We Had to Make a Number Two
Domo Wobbly Balancing Robot Thing
Disney Glow With The Show Ears Teardown
What makes a Maker tick?
AVR Serial Communications Using XBee RF Modules
Charlieplexing MORE LEDs (20, to be exact)
Hack the SparkFun Big Red Dome Button!
FitBit Contest at meltmedia - No Cheat-O-Matic
Bourbon Bottle Chandelier - Bluetooth, Dimmable, Hand-crafted
DIY Cornhole Game Set
Desktop Warp Core - The Early Years
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Electronics and Hack Workbench
Fitbit Cheat-O-Matic 2: 3D Printed Mechanical Simplicity
meltmedia Hack Day July 2012!
Electronics Workbench LED Upgrade
Backyard Propane Fire Pit, Pavers and Outhouse Project
Touch Screens: Some Interesting History and Info
Easy DIY PVC Poolside Towel Rack
How To Compete in Your Company's FitBit Walk Competition While Injured
Fix Missing Comments Problem in Notepad WordPress Theme
The Shed Beast: A 12x16 Wood Frame Storage Shed
2012 Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Turn a Servo Into an Inexpensive Geared Motor
meltmedia meltHack-A-Palooza V: The Lost Pushbutton
Charlieplexing LEDs with an AVR ATmega328
Stripe - Card Processing for Developers
Home-Aged Bourbon YUM!
Fitness Tracker Tester (& Pokemon Incubator?)
Lipstick Camera Turned Video Microscope
iPotti #2: After a Number One, We Had to Make a Number Two
Domo Wobbly Balancing Robot Thing

Maker Resources

A radnom sampling of tools and resources I find useful. View all resources →

Developer Tools
Pico CSS

Minimal CSS framework for semantic HTML. It makes things look great without writing classes.

Visit Resource →

Resources for STEM

Find stuff for learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. View STEM

STEM Stuff
Code.org

"Code.org® is an education innovation nonprofit dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science and artificial intelligence as part of their core K-12 education. We expand access to and participation in computer science in schools, with a focus on increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. The leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the largest school districts in the United States, Code.org also organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign, which has engaged more than 15% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors including Microsoft, Amazon, Google and many others." —Code.org About page

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STEM Stuff
Science Buddies

“Science Buddies mission is to inspire and educate students of all ages with hands-on STEM explorations that reflect their unique personal interests. By providing highly personalized educational experiences, we drive student discovery, engagement, and learning in STEM subjects. Our vision is to develop high-quality scientist-authored explorations covering all key areas of STEM, from the classics to the cutting edge, in formats tailored for the needs of the audiences having the greatest potential to impact student STEM learning, students themselves, classroom teachers, informal educators, and parents. Free and open to everyone, we level the playing field, making STEM learning possible for students of all demographics.“ —Science Buddies About page

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STEM Stuff
Science Friday

(Shouldn’t every single day be Science Friday? Science Friday Monday, Science Friday Tuesday, etc.) “Science Friday is an award-winning producer of high quality, fact-checked, and trustworthy science news and educational programming. For 30 years, we’ve introduced top scientists to public radio listeners, and reminded them how much fun it is to learn something new. But we’re more than just a radio show. We produce a sweeping array of educational and entertaining science experiences through videos, podcasts, digital media, live events, citizen science, K-12 education and professional development, and at-home learning activities for families that directly serve hundreds of thousands of educators, parents, citizen scientists, and lifelong learners every year.” —ScienceFriday.com About page

Visit Resource →

Resources for STEM & Women/Girls in Tech

Technology is super cool and it shouldn't care who makes it that way. Women/Girls in Tech.

Women & Girls in Tech
Girls Who Code (GirlsWhoCode.com)

According to their about page, 37% of computer scientists in 1995 were women. Today, it’s down to 24%. Attrition is highest between the ages of 13 and 17. “We're reaching girls around the world and are on track to close the gender gap in new entry-level tech jobs by 2030.”

Visit Resource →
Women & Girls in Tech
Encouraging Girls in Math and Science – What Works

A guide to provide teachers with specific recommendations for encouraging girls in math and science that can be carried out in the classroom without requiring systemic change. Other school personnel having direct contact with students, such as coaches, counselors, and principals, will also find the guide useful.

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Women & Girls in Tech
How to Engage Girls in Science

This guide gathers select print and electronic resources for educators, parents, researchers, and young women on how to get girls (particularly middle and high school aged) interested in science and scientific careers.

Visit Resource →