Russell Kasem
@russellkasem.bsky.social
Electrical Engineer, PC Gamer, Car Detailing Hobbiest, Carolina Crown alumnus, AtlantaCV alumnus.
I’ll be posting a mixture of home improvement projects, car detailing, a little bit of computer/gaming stuff, and drumcorps. Maybe some weather stuff too.
I’ll be posting a mixture of home improvement projects, car detailing, a little bit of computer/gaming stuff, and drumcorps. Maybe some weather stuff too.
Hey @hankgreen.bsky.social in line at our polling place in North Georgia to vote for the public service commission. Thanks for the reminder!
November 4, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Hey @hankgreen.bsky.social in line at our polling place in North Georgia to vote for the public service commission. Thanks for the reminder!
Ultimate desk setup in progress. Uline solid wood desktop and some standing desk legs from a previous desk. Custom LED strips integrated into Home Assistant.
October 20, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Ultimate desk setup in progress. Uline solid wood desktop and some standing desk legs from a previous desk. Custom LED strips integrated into Home Assistant.
Happy Battlefield 6 Launch But I’m an Adult And Have To Work Day.
October 10, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Happy Battlefield 6 Launch But I’m an Adult And Have To Work Day.
After trying the SLZB-06, 06M and 06MG26 from #smlite, I have concluded that the ZBT-1 is the most robust of the group, which makes me more excited over the possibility of a ZBT-2 coming.
September 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
After trying the SLZB-06, 06M and 06MG26 from #smlite, I have concluded that the ZBT-1 is the most robust of the group, which makes me more excited over the possibility of a ZBT-2 coming.
Been on the hunt for the perfect #zigbee setup for @home-assistant.io. Started with SLZB-06 (TI SoC) and then tried the SLZB-06M (SL SoC). I could never get the 06M to stabilize, it is just super buggy! When it does work, the Silicon Labs SoC is super quick compared to Texas Instruments.
September 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Been on the hunt for the perfect #zigbee setup for @home-assistant.io. Started with SLZB-06 (TI SoC) and then tried the SLZB-06M (SL SoC). I could never get the 06M to stabilize, it is just super buggy! When it does work, the Silicon Labs SoC is super quick compared to Texas Instruments.
Since making the jump into @home-assistant.io, I’ve managed to wrangle all my various smart home devices into a single, non-cloud based, and private system. Love the cadence of updates from this team! Always something to tinker.
🎉 Home Assistant 2025.9 is here... and it's MASSIVE!
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
September 4, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Since making the jump into @home-assistant.io, I’ve managed to wrangle all my various smart home devices into a single, non-cloud based, and private system. Love the cadence of updates from this team! Always something to tinker.
Reposted by Russell Kasem
🎉 Home Assistant 2025.9 is here... and it's MASSIVE!
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
September 3, 2025 at 6:33 PM
🎉 Home Assistant 2025.9 is here... and it's MASSIVE!
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
www.home-assistant.io/blog/2025/09...
A sidebar for the automation editor 🤖, tons of new tile card features 📈, a brand new Home dashboard ✨, analog clocks 🕘, storage insights 💾, and much more!
#HomeAssistant
Getting more and more comfortable cutting hole in my house. Decided to add supplemental recessed lighting to the home office. Phillips Hue 6” slim lights all tied to #HomeAssistant via an SLZB-06 Zigbee coordinator.
August 30, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Getting more and more comfortable cutting hole in my house. Decided to add supplemental recessed lighting to the home office. Phillips Hue 6” slim lights all tied to #HomeAssistant via an SLZB-06 Zigbee coordinator.
Reposted by Russell Kasem
This isn’t socialism. It’s a wealth tax. BAE (bernie. AOC, Elizabeth Warren, should be thanking him for creating the template and offering to suggest more.
Take or underpay for equity, and you dilute the ownership of all shareholders. Just like you took their equity with a wealth tax.
Take or underpay for equity, and you dilute the ownership of all shareholders. Just like you took their equity with a wealth tax.
Trump: It is my Great Honor to report that the United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL.
Hey MAGATs, here's the Socialism you've been outraged about.
Hey INTEL, you know everything Trump touches dies, right?
#ProudBlue #Pinks #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice
Hey MAGATs, here's the Socialism you've been outraged about.
Hey INTEL, you know everything Trump touches dies, right?
#ProudBlue #Pinks #TrumpIsUnfitForOffice
August 23, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This isn’t socialism. It’s a wealth tax. BAE (bernie. AOC, Elizabeth Warren, should be thanking him for creating the template and offering to suggest more.
Take or underpay for equity, and you dilute the ownership of all shareholders. Just like you took their equity with a wealth tax.
Take or underpay for equity, and you dilute the ownership of all shareholders. Just like you took their equity with a wealth tax.
Opening a can of worms with this question but is the biggest difference between MQTT and ZHA device compatibility or is there a real world performance difference.
My goal is to have the snappiest Zigbee lighting setup. #homeassistant #zigbee #zha #mqtt
My goal is to have the snappiest Zigbee lighting setup. #homeassistant #zigbee #zha #mqtt
August 23, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Opening a can of worms with this question but is the biggest difference between MQTT and ZHA device compatibility or is there a real world performance difference.
My goal is to have the snappiest Zigbee lighting setup. #homeassistant #zigbee #zha #mqtt
My goal is to have the snappiest Zigbee lighting setup. #homeassistant #zigbee #zha #mqtt
It’s been two months since I’ve taken anything with nicotine. The addiction is gone but damn, the dopamine crash has been rough.
To whom it may concern,
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
August 22, 2025 at 12:42 PM
It’s been two months since I’ve taken anything with nicotine. The addiction is gone but damn, the dopamine crash has been rough.
Anyone in the #HomeAssistant community have any success with ZHA and source routing to improve response time?
Recently switched from a Ti based coordinator in lieu of a Silicon Labs based one. It’s marketed to better support ZHA, but it’s been buggy at best for me.
Recently switched from a Ti based coordinator in lieu of a Silicon Labs based one. It’s marketed to better support ZHA, but it’s been buggy at best for me.
August 22, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Anyone in the #HomeAssistant community have any success with ZHA and source routing to improve response time?
Recently switched from a Ti based coordinator in lieu of a Silicon Labs based one. It’s marketed to better support ZHA, but it’s been buggy at best for me.
Recently switched from a Ti based coordinator in lieu of a Silicon Labs based one. It’s marketed to better support ZHA, but it’s been buggy at best for me.
Hey #homeassistant community, are there any reputable Z-Wave lightbulbs out there or is that not really a thing?
Been pretty happy with Zigbee after dialing it in and optimizing with my existing WiFi networks, but is there something more stable? Caseta? Z-Wave?
I’d like to avoid WiFi devices.
Been pretty happy with Zigbee after dialing it in and optimizing with my existing WiFi networks, but is there something more stable? Caseta? Z-Wave?
I’d like to avoid WiFi devices.
July 13, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Hey #homeassistant community, are there any reputable Z-Wave lightbulbs out there or is that not really a thing?
Been pretty happy with Zigbee after dialing it in and optimizing with my existing WiFi networks, but is there something more stable? Caseta? Z-Wave?
I’d like to avoid WiFi devices.
Been pretty happy with Zigbee after dialing it in and optimizing with my existing WiFi networks, but is there something more stable? Caseta? Z-Wave?
I’d like to avoid WiFi devices.
To whom it may concern,
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
June 26, 2025 at 6:08 PM
To whom it may concern,
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
I’ve been a tobacco user for years. Smoked in college. Vaped shortly after. Switched to Zyn a couple years ago.
I’ve been nicotine free for three weeks!
It sucks.
But also, it doesn’t.
Sinking deeper into the #homeassistant addiction. Started off with a HA Green and SkyConnect but quickly found myself wanting more power and reliability for the Zigbee Network. Found a great deal on a refurbished Dell Optiplex SFF PC with a Quad-Core i7, 32GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
June 21, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Sinking deeper into the #homeassistant addiction. Started off with a HA Green and SkyConnect but quickly found myself wanting more power and reliability for the Zigbee Network. Found a great deal on a refurbished Dell Optiplex SFF PC with a Quad-Core i7, 32GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
What the heck was Apple thinking with #iOS26? I understand this is Beta 1 and a lot is going to change before a final public release, but this UI direction is awful.
June 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM
What the heck was Apple thinking with #iOS26? I understand this is Beta 1 and a lot is going to change before a final public release, but this UI direction is awful.
Home Assistant Update!
Been going down the rabbit hole on how to custom build cards and program various automations. Testing the patience of my wife who’s had to endure a barrage of dashboard revisions and custom notifications!
All in, the setup has a steep learning curve, but it is so nice.
Been going down the rabbit hole on how to custom build cards and program various automations. Testing the patience of my wife who’s had to endure a barrage of dashboard revisions and custom notifications!
All in, the setup has a steep learning curve, but it is so nice.
May 17, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Home Assistant Update!
Been going down the rabbit hole on how to custom build cards and program various automations. Testing the patience of my wife who’s had to endure a barrage of dashboard revisions and custom notifications!
All in, the setup has a steep learning curve, but it is so nice.
Been going down the rabbit hole on how to custom build cards and program various automations. Testing the patience of my wife who’s had to endure a barrage of dashboard revisions and custom notifications!
All in, the setup has a steep learning curve, but it is so nice.
Lawn Update!
It’s green and the battle with the neighbors begins!
It’s green and the battle with the neighbors begins!
May 10, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Lawn Update!
It’s green and the battle with the neighbors begins!
It’s green and the battle with the neighbors begins!
Never felt an earthquake before! The whole house was shaking, very eerie.
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
The Earthquake Event Page application supports most recent browsers, view supported browsers. Or, try our Real-time Notifications, Feeds, and Web Services.
earthquake.usgs.gov
May 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Never felt an earthquake before! The whole house was shaking, very eerie.
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
Home Assistant Update:
Everything I finally setup and programmed. I have all the lighting setup and even eliminated the Hue Bridge completely by using the Zigbee Home Automation add-in and Zigbee dongle.
Everything I finally setup and programmed. I have all the lighting setup and even eliminated the Hue Bridge completely by using the Zigbee Home Automation add-in and Zigbee dongle.
May 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Home Assistant Update:
Everything I finally setup and programmed. I have all the lighting setup and even eliminated the Hue Bridge completely by using the Zigbee Home Automation add-in and Zigbee dongle.
Everything I finally setup and programmed. I have all the lighting setup and even eliminated the Hue Bridge completely by using the Zigbee Home Automation add-in and Zigbee dongle.
#HomeAssistant Update!
It’s been a couple weeks with the system up and running. I’ve begun to try to make everything more efficient and use Home Assistant as the default manager for devices in lieu of additional hubs and integrations. Tonight I figured out how to side step Philips Hue all together.
It’s been a couple weeks with the system up and running. I’ve begun to try to make everything more efficient and use Home Assistant as the default manager for devices in lieu of additional hubs and integrations. Tonight I figured out how to side step Philips Hue all together.
May 5, 2025 at 3:06 AM
#HomeAssistant Update!
It’s been a couple weeks with the system up and running. I’ve begun to try to make everything more efficient and use Home Assistant as the default manager for devices in lieu of additional hubs and integrations. Tonight I figured out how to side step Philips Hue all together.
It’s been a couple weeks with the system up and running. I’ve begun to try to make everything more efficient and use Home Assistant as the default manager for devices in lieu of additional hubs and integrations. Tonight I figured out how to side step Philips Hue all together.
Lawn Update!
Upgraded our mower to the most powerful Ego push option. It’s a beast. The lawn is growing like crazy. Threw down a light coating of Andersons DGL to darken and promote thickening.
Upgraded our mower to the most powerful Ego push option. It’s a beast. The lawn is growing like crazy. Threw down a light coating of Andersons DGL to darken and promote thickening.
April 29, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Lawn Update!
Upgraded our mower to the most powerful Ego push option. It’s a beast. The lawn is growing like crazy. Threw down a light coating of Andersons DGL to darken and promote thickening.
Upgraded our mower to the most powerful Ego push option. It’s a beast. The lawn is growing like crazy. Threw down a light coating of Andersons DGL to darken and promote thickening.
The quest for the perfect lawn continues! I’ve been mowing 2-3 times a week to promote horizontal growth and to fill in areas. So far so good. In the next two weeks it’ll be time to throw some Iron and fast release nitrogen into the soil.
April 27, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The quest for the perfect lawn continues! I’ve been mowing 2-3 times a week to promote horizontal growth and to fill in areas. So far so good. In the next two weeks it’ll be time to throw some Iron and fast release nitrogen into the soil.
Up at the buttcrack of dawn to take my Engineering license exam. Attempt 2.
April 23, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Up at the buttcrack of dawn to take my Engineering license exam. Attempt 2.
Lawn Progress!
Cut it down to 1”. Fertilizer is kicking and it’s really getting thick.
Cut it down to 1”. Fertilizer is kicking and it’s really getting thick.
April 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Lawn Progress!
Cut it down to 1”. Fertilizer is kicking and it’s really getting thick.
Cut it down to 1”. Fertilizer is kicking and it’s really getting thick.