Big Rig, Agents, and the Local AI Era

Joshua's basement-built beast just changed the game. What it means for your work and your community.

Joshua Hale
May 14, 2026

6min Read | Watch | Listen

Hey there Builders!

Wild week over here.

End of last week got back from Seattle hauling a custom-built rig that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi flick. My buddy John Hunter put it together in his basement, and this thing is built to run frontier AI and local models side by side.

Translation: Claude Code for the heavy building work. Local agents for everything else.

If that sounds like a foreign language right now, stick with me. It will not stay foreign for long.

Why You Should Give All the Cares:

Local AI is happening: You no longer have to send every thought to a cloud server. Models can live on your machine.
The split is the point: One AI for deep work, one AI for chatting through your day. That's the new normal.
Community is the moat: Local AI plus local people equals real resilience. More on that below.

The Big Rig, John Hunter Edition

For years I've been running on a Dell from Costco that wheezed every time I opened Chrome.

Last week that ended.

John Hunter, an PC builder in Seattle, custom-built a hybrid rig that can run frontier models like Claude through the cloud and local open-source models on the hardware itself. No middleman. No monthly fees per query. Just raw compute sitting on my desk.

The cost? Way under what you'd pay retail for half the power. The value inside? Massive.

If you've been thinking about a new machine, do not buy a junk Dell from Costco like I did. Hit me back for Johns contact.

Hermes: My On-the-Go Assistant

Once the rig was running, I set up Hermes. It's an open-source alternative to OpenClaw with better security, local agent capabilities, and a self-improving learning loop built in.

About 30% of OpenClaw users have already made the switch.

Here's how my workflow looks now:

Claude Cowork: the workhorse for building, projects, and deep tasks
Hermes: the on-the-go assistant that texts me on Discord, remembers everything, and runs scheduled tasks

One builds. The other walks with me. That's the split. that is how I build the Godfather life.

Godfather life= “ambient intelligence”, or intelligence that is built into the background of our world to support us only when called upon (like “magic”)

I'll be documenting this process and giving walkthroughs in my inner circle group. Hop on in if you want to follow along.

Community Beat: Mutual Aid and the Co-Work Hub

Tech is only half the story.

This weekend I'm hosting the kickoff potluck for the Whatcom County Mutual Aid Network. The goal is simple: teach and inspire people to start their own mutual aid groups in our region. More groups, more skills, more people power when someone needs it.

Picture a barn raising in 2026. That's the energy.

Meet neighbors and like-minded people who want to support each other, take action, and build stronger hyper local networks close to home. We’ll share a meal, learn more about mutual aid, and take part in a speed networking activity designed to help you connect with people near you, discover shared interests, and start organizing into local groups.

Not in Whatcom? Check out the online course I put together to get your won Mutual Aid Groups started. Because you can't build community when you need it

On top of that, I connected at our local AI Meetup and there's a downtown AI co-work space getting built. Late summer launch. A real hub where I can meet with local clients, host workshops, and bring AI-curious people together in one room. Shout out to Rhys Faler for getting this built.

Hyperlocal community plus AI tools is the combo. Online networks are great. People you can actually sit across from at a potluck are better.

Quick Hits

BJJ grand opening: Got to DJ at Prof. Andrew's Endurance Jiu-Jitsu gym launch. Packed house, kids rolling, parents cheering. My daughter watched the older kids and now wants her yellow belt. If you're in Bellingham, go check it out.
Nick V Uncensored: Recorded a fun one with Nick this week on AI, the dangers, the upside, and how to use it for good. Nick's having me back monthly for updates. Watch HERE.

Today’s Takeaways:

Hybrid AI setup wins: Cloud frontier plus local agents. The future is on your desk.
Agents is worth a look: Especially if you want something on-the-go with memory and scheduled tasks.
Build hyperlocal too: Mutual aid groups, co-work hubs, meetups. Real people, real resilience.
John builds better PCs than Costco: Truly

Hit reply and tell me what landed for you this week. Was it the rig? The mutual aid play? The chicken lessons? Curious which thread pulled you in.

And more important: what are you building right now? I read every reply, and a lot of the time it sparks the next conversation, the next newsletter, the next collaboration.

Stay curious and keep it real,

Joshua | The Holistic Tech Wizard

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