Melanie McDonough

Tech Talk Featured

AgendaNewsMaker-GPT: My Adventure into AI for Enhanced City Meeting Engagement

Lately, I've been diving deep into the potential of AI to foster a more engaged and informed community. Today, I'm excited to share my current experiment: The AgendaNewsMaker-GPT.

Tech Talk Featured

ChatGPT Permit Calculator

This is version 1.0 of a permit fee calculator I am building for our City's website using ChatGPT.

Tech Talk

Where to Place the Charger for an Amazon Astro Robot

If you are planning on adding an Amazon Astro to your home, here are some mistakes I made that you may want to avoid when placing the charging dock.

Tech Talk Featured

I got an Amazon Astro robot as a birthday gift

I got an Amazon Astro robot as a birthday gift, and since it doesn't look like there are many of them out in the wild yet, I thought I'd share how it's going.

Tech Talk Featured

Putting ChatGPT to work for Local Government

An example of how I am experimenting with ChatGPT to solve real-world problems I encounter in the local government workplace.

1776 Pushup Challenge

My daughter owns 7K Fit in Wyoming and recently encouraged her gym and community members to participate in the Wounded Warriors 1776 Pushup Challenge. I decided to join in the challenge even though I have to do quite a few pushup modifications to make it happen - but I'

Home and Family

The Hens are in the House!

My little clutch of girls has arrived and are now safely housed, fed, watered, and named. Also, this is what happens when you put your grandsons in charge of choosing names. So much fun!

Home and Family

Chicken Coop Time!

I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a chicken coop kit from Tractor Supply! Here's how it went putting it together.

Writing, Poetry, Prose

Peace, Be Still

This is a poem I wrote while I was in prison and facing a particularly difficult moment. I wrote it over the course of two days. The first day I was despairing but on the second day, I had found peace. The context is Mark 1: 35-41.

Social Justice

Analysis of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

It was there, in my prison cell, reading his words, that I came to understand one of the most horrifying yet fundamental truths of America: however mistreated or underprivileged, whatever injustice I encountered, it was nothing against the backdrop of the Black American experience.

About Me

Unremembered Memories

Even though it was the single most important event of my life, I have no memory of it so I am forced to rely upon the memories of others.

Felon Life

Leap Day and Prison

The last day of my incarceration in the NH State Prison for Women was three leap years ago.

Home and Family

Operation Fridge Swap

Today's project is named: Operation Fridge Swap. This was also last weekend's project. It wasn't that long ago when my only allowed choice was a tiny red cooler.

Reflection

2019 In Review

It's the last day of 2019. Already. I can't figure where the time has gone so this is what I am doing here. Remembering. Reviewing. Giving respect to the moments that have been before launching into 2020.

MakerSpace Featured

3DMcD Studio Adventure

Exciting news! I have embarked on a new 3DP adventure by opening an Etsy shop to sell a few of my creations.

Mother Earth

Hope Springing

It's never the cold cruelty of winter that moves us to stand tall but the gentle breath of spring rising, valiant despite it all.

Reflection

Fighting The Hate Machine

We watched BlacKkKlansman last night. It is mind-boggling to me that we are still, as human beings, fighting over skin color, religion, gender. It baffles me how people like David Duke and Trump exist in this world - that they have followers who actively and enthusiastically answer their call for

Tech Talk

My 3DP Adventure Begins

This post marks the start of my 3D printing adventure. I honestly can't remember being this obsessed with a toy since my first Lego set.

Health & Fitness

Me, My Thyroid, and I

My thyroid and I have been through a lot together over the course of our lifetime and though I've managed to land on the side of happiness, my thyroid has not. Consequently, I have taken matters into my own hands.

Writing, Poetry, Prose

Depression

I wrote this poem to help me battle depression. Sometimes in the process of writing, I am able to garner strength to battle the demons in my mind.

Tech Talk

Looking Down - It's Okay

There is a lot of talk these days about how people spend too much time on their phones looking down. What people are actually upset about is that they do not know what you are doing when they look at you.

Tech Talk Featured

My First MakerSpace Project!

My first project on the laser cutter at Claremont MakerSpace was a success! It's a simple game of memory with my grandsons' favorite characters engraved on wooden tiles.

Reflection

Privilege

This is something I wrote during a bout of insomnia. I was lying in bed thinking about the reasons I often don't write what I feel like writing. These thoughts emerged.

Reflection

The Quest for Feminism

In her quest to overthrow oppression, break glass ceilings, and gain equality in a male-dominated world, woman should take care not to emulate the most depraved characteristics that allowed her captor to reign in the first place.

Writing, Poetry, Prose

Otherwise, I Am

Otherwise, I Am God is who reveals us unto ourselves - not otherwise. Fools, we venture: Here am I! Til the heavens insist otherwise. Rebels, we writhe indignantly This be I! No otherwise! Gnarling, we flail impertinently, gnashing 'gainst the otherwise. Until we, defeated, drop kneeling to God'