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Public Key

npub13kyss3gj9q2x448l3naw5phxcscj8sw4pylxgnkuqj8tazyjc8eqd6zgu6

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsgmzggg5fzs9r26nlce7h2qmnvgvfrc82sj0nyfmwqfr473zfvrusprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqyqqnl4szx

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

Last Notes

2026-08-20 00:26:29 CEST

Spam / Phishing alert.
I am expecting a package :pakidge: so of course I was immediately triggered when an email came in with this subject:
Delivery Update: Parcel damaged and address unclear.
Purports to be from Australia Post. It's bullshit of course. If you receive one of these, check the email address of the sender. Also bullshit. Report and delete.
No, I didn't click anything. Just momentarily triggered.
#spam #phishing

2026-08-18 17:36:08 CEST

"The grazing group was led by stand-out favourites like “Teeny,” “Janice,” and “Little Jonny,” the latter of whom dons a bright orange vest."
https://newcastleweekly.com.au/goats-hired-to-chew-their-way-through-hexham-bypass-weeds/
#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #goats

2026-08-18 10:15:48 CEST

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such a lovely variety. One week it'd be Hungarian postillions, next week it was Breton galettes by the sea.

2026-08-18 10:10:56 CEST

In what seems like an aeon ago, we used to watch a show called Global Village on SBS. Hosted by the delightful Silvio Rivier, it plucked short factual shows from around the world, giving us a peek into others' lives from around the planet.
Lately we've found that DW (Deutsche Welle) has essentially drop-in replacements for this on its Youtube channel, DW Documentary. Amongst the dire docos on wars, fascism, poverty, crime, there are also quaint little postcards from the railways.
Like this one, By train to Mount Etna.
https://youtu.be/uWSuGqi_Lo8
They have a whole playlist of them.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLovlAKbQVz6DoWH3TuN06TWGA5VTbZ6nR
#documentary #railways #gunzels

2026-08-16 12:39:15 CEST

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nothing quite like a good soup, especially in winter. Don't forget that a nice spoonful of a Maesri paste can lift a soup from OK to exciting.

2026-08-16 08:55:44 CEST

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well that's something at least.

2026-08-16 08:39:36 CEST

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I hope she tires before you need to sleep!

2026-08-15 08:50:39 CEST

This afternoon has been about making stock.
Chicken stock: 6 chicken wings roasted 220°C for 20 minutes, then simmered 1 hour with ½ a small onion and a bay leaf in enough water to cover. Produced about 1.2 litres of good stock¹ and I reclaimed about 1½ cups of meat for the lunch soups. Chicken skin went in the bin (my mouth).
Beef stock: about 1 kg of beef soup bones roasted 220°C for 25 minutes, then pressure cooked 1 hour with ½ a small onion and a bay leaf in enough water to cover. Probably 1½ litres of stock for tonight's leek / cauliflower / lentil soup with about 1½ cups meat scavenged from the bones.
The house now smells like either chicken or beef, depending on which room I walk into.
¹ good chicken stock with gelatine, from the chicken skin. Lip-smackin' good. Chicken necks make very nice stock, but with no gelatine because no skin.
#bouillon #broth

2026-08-14 14:14:41 CEST

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an effort was made. This is meaningful. Accept it.

2026-08-11 08:24:21 CEST

It's still a little breezy out there, and when I wandered around to the shops for eggs and wine, this little corella was having fun spinning on the end of a casuarina branch. There's other corellas and a cockatoo in there as well.
#LakeMacquarie #BirdsOfOz #parrots
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/117/075/435/443/697/633/original/85a6bdab9d5aa0fe.mp4

2026-08-10 13:57:48 CEST

Having a floater in my eye means I'm never sure whether I just saw a mosquito (I did, it bit me)

2026-07-26 01:39:10 CEST

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what's Spanish for "the left incinerates, the right extinguishes?" /s

2026-07-24 02:49:05 CEST

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I wonder what it costs to get a rainwater tank delivered?

2026-07-24 02:40:12 CEST

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I bet the power isn't on, nor the water.

2026-07-22 16:53:37 CEST

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sounds like every tenth bus trip locally. This one driver, I tell ya…

2026-07-20 11:06:40 CEST

TIL that a Turkish developer built 732 faux fairytale castles near hot springs in the Black Sea region of Türkiye, but the development sits uncompleted and abandoned. Weird.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Babas
#WeirdEstate
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/951/495/265/976/362/original/cc312d5884a9689d.jpg

2026-07-13 09:38:19 CEST

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lovely beasts!

2026-07-03 03:54:18 CEST

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thank you, a beautiful and very interesting tree!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_lebbeck

2026-07-02 05:59:53 CEST

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I love the tree hanging over the food truck. Any idea what it is?

2026-06-17 04:30:51 CEST

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very tasty. How do you prepare them?

2026-06-17 01:29:09 CEST

I stumbled upon a recipe in a Tess Mallous book on middle eastern cooking, Íç Pilav, and last night I made it. Íç means "inside" in Turkish and the insides I used last night were chicken livers. Apparently lamb liver also works.
I made the pilaf with Arborio rice; in Türkiye they use Baldo rice, which is essentially the same. Lovely fat grains soaking up all the flavour.
A big part of the flavour is toasted pine nuts. Lovely toasty and crunchy, I added to the bowls as a garnish with chopped onion greens. Ground cinnamon and allspice, and cracked black pepper provided the spice in the pilaf.
Pushing the "insides" theme further, my chicken stock came from cooking chicken hearts for the next fortnight's lunch noodle soups.
DW was a little challenged by the flavour of the chicken livers, so not sure I'd stick so close to the recipe next time. But I thought it was a very nice pilaf, and a good way to use chicken livers.
#pilaf #offal

2026-06-13 10:20:35 CEST

After buying the essential Asian groceries at Cardiff, we assembled a supermarket picnic, caught the train to Newcastle, and found a picnic table on the side of the Hunter River. A lovely spot to sit and slowly graze into the late afternoon. Photos from near sunset after we had packed up.
#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/741/809/418/282/642/original/021d1a42b8674bb9.jpeg
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/741/809/273/592/746/original/61868c958b845247.jpeg

2026-06-12 07:11:17 CEST

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I don't think so; they hang down at the front. This was a stole, wrapped around the neck and the front half of the poor animal dangling down her back.
Shudder…

2026-06-12 06:08:47 CEST

Unbidden memory of the day:
1998 or '99, Sydney. Walking uphill on Phillip Street, away from the Opera House. Lady in front of me is short, stout, wearing a too-tight glamorous dress and high heels, and a fox stole that appears to be a whole fox.
The fox is dangling over her shoulders, head bobbing about, its little front legs waving to and fro. It was a frightening sight.
I blame [@futzle](https://old.mermaid.town/@futzle ) for surfacing this memory for me today.

2026-06-10 12:04:14 CEST

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55 lever-arch folders! Heavens to Betsy…

2026-06-08 12:26:25 CEST

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"and nothing will save the Governor General here" 🤣👍

2026-06-08 12:01:49 CEST

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I really appreciate that ABC news no longer avoids "death" and "died" for Aboriginal deaths. Can we now get community behind using it for all of us?

2026-06-08 11:38:19 CEST

Lunchtime viewing the past two days has been Neuschwanstein - Fairytale castle and architectural icon from DW Documentary.
We've seen a couple of docos on Ludicrous Ludwig and his castles, notably from artist Grayson Perry and art historians Waldemar Januszczak and Andrew Graham-Dixon, largely focussed on the art of the castles with an overview of the Bavarian king's life and mania. Would recommend them too. But.
This one from DW brings a German perspective to the story. It tells Ludwig's story from the start to the end, with a little more detail. It covers some fascinating details of the Neuschwanstein castle's construction and engineering. And it looks at the tourism angle a bit.
A good watch.
https://youtu.be/DI9VQ9tRs4s
#documentary #NeuschwansteinCastle

2026-06-03 12:20:49 CEST

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lawd knows that my elderly father should have had his licence taken off him. They limited him to within 5km of his house, but frankly he should not have been driving past 80 the way he was.
Not to mention, he should have mentioned to me that his car was out of rego, when he got me to drive him places in it. Especially the two times I got pulled over for driving an unregistered car (him not in it, doing errands for him).
Cunt.

2026-06-03 01:15:08 CEST

Painfully glorious at Lake Macquarie this morning. And with a steak and kidney pie for breakfast and a feathered breakfast companion.
#LakeMacquarie #BirdsOfOz
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/683/044/737/964/122/original/b45b4ca5c518a4d3.jpeg

2026-06-01 12:30:14 CEST

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name recognition has a lot to answer for.

2026-05-29 07:45:38 CEST

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well… I have now. Just a teensy wee pinch. My daily starter (followed by coffee when DW appears)

2026-05-29 07:43:28 CEST

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have I mentioned how much nicer Milo is with a pinch of tea masala? 😛

2026-05-29 07:42:28 CEST

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[sales of red sponge imitation bricks increase]

2026-05-20 06:38:33 CEST

"A decision made 70 years ago to reforest vast swathes of Japan with just two kinds of tree has come back to haunt the country."
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260515-the-1950s-blunder-which-causes-mass-hay-fever-in-japan
Thanks to DW for this.
#Japan #Allergies

2026-05-18 09:18:09 CEST

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DW had some dal makhani leftovers for lunch, and added urad sprouts to it. Apparently was nice with the fresh crunch. 🫘

2026-05-18 06:06:38 CEST

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wonderful, they look delicious!
Did another half-arsed dal makhani last night, pressure cooked and dairy free. Too much coconut cream, need to back off next time. Still delicious!

2026-05-16 11:53:09 CEST

Just finished watching the ABC News and accidentally caught some sport because it had the Ziffman, and… fuck me, thus Enhanced Games bullshit sounds like the very worst techbro startup idea yet. How can it not be dangerous? Fucking hell.
Props to the ABC for their reporting on this, clear headed and calling it for what it is: product sales.
For more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Games
#fucksake #EnhancedGames #techBros

2026-05-14 01:44:36 CEST

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can it at least be an Indian grocer and good junk food?

2026-05-11 09:52:14 CEST

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kumquat vodka
https://www.thespruceeats.com/kumquat-vodka-or-gin-2215572

2026-05-09 02:38:43 CEST

Since last Sunday I have found three chokos on my front lawn. I've taken this as a sign I should plant chokos so they are now distributed strategically.
I know where they've come from. A house up the hill on the corner has them. The cockatoos sometimes try their luck with them but ultimately drop them on the verge. Maybe kids kick them to the corner? Maybe they then roll downhill to our place?
Upon arrival home from shopping, there was a fourth choko. I might kick that one down the hill a bit.
#chokos

2026-05-06 01:08:25 CEST

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It's very close to Central Station, in the south end of Haymarket. Underneath a building with some food vendors in a courtyard. Excellent range, e.g. best range of dried mushrooms I've seen. Need to get back there to get some more nameko mushrooms.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8CzHMsP4xWaoRdTbA
Also at Eastwood, along with a number of other good supermarkets.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/shkMaHyetmjKS3naA
Missing a bunch of Thai goods, but Thai-ny Town is just around the corner from Haymarket, also close to Central.

2026-05-05 14:48:14 CEST

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it's a shame that Epic has gone; but have you met New Yen Yen? The best.

2026-05-04 07:31:38 CEST

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yum!

2026-04-29 05:00:25 CEST

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I've heard of* pissing razor blades, but this is ridiculous.
* endured

2026-04-28 05:53:04 CEST

The pale green of these chillies always fascinates me. They're in the habanero family, maybe aji umba. They ripen to yellow or orange. Very tasty, will be going into tonight's goat tehari.
#chilli
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/480/297/832/099/443/original/c9e910efe98fe98e.jpg

2026-04-22 06:22:03 CEST

RE: https://aus.social/@pelicangut/116411225671307261
Update: about half the Stoney Creek flying fox camp is back again. I guess it's better at Stoney Creek than wherever they went in the meantime.
#LakeMacquarie
#note10vz…xga3

2026-04-19 05:44:58 CEST

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I was stuck in the lift partway down Sydney Tower once with number one sister's number two husband. Happily we only had to wait a half hour before the got it moving again. Pre-smartphone era, nothing to read.

2026-04-16 05:11:22 CEST

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seems to have zero clues about where diesel comes from. Hint: it ain't Aussie oil.

2026-04-16 02:09:22 CEST

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since the start of summer at least, probably earlier. Last year they stayed into early winter, it was so mild.

2026-04-16 01:05:37 CEST

The flying fox camp at Stoney Creek, Toronto NSW had decided they don't like the cold autumn nights and has moved on. Thousands gone, just like that.
#LakeMacquarie

2026-04-14 12:50:20 CEST

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brown. He means not the brown ones. It's dog whistling the one notion voters, nothing more.

2026-04-14 08:23:01 CEST

I had fish and chips in a café today, which meant three skinny fillets precariously balanced on a pile of French fries. It put me in mind of the Posh Nosh episode with Architect's Fish and Chips. Admittedly mine was more filling and had a salad.
https://youtu.be/MWTy9fE48og
#PoshNosh

2026-04-14 08:17:17 CEST

My mother's wheelchair taxi driver spoke Boomer at me the entire time, both outgoing and return trips. It is thus now a 12 Ouzo day. I have just acquired.

2026-04-12 11:00:20 CEST

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yum!

2026-04-12 01:30:37 CEST

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long day. We visited a nursing home, then caught a bus to Korean groceries, picked up wine, finally got to lunch about 5pm. But we snacked on a pickled egg each along the way! Lunch was at an Indian diner, so rolled away fully sated.

2026-04-12 01:12:20 CEST

Yesterday on our way to "lunch" on Beaumont Street around 4:40pm, we took the scenic route through Gregson Park. And were rewarded with cockatoos in the big Afrocarpus tree 🎉
It's a huge tree that has cones like beads, about a centimetre in diameter. Cockatoos love them. Nom nom!
#NewcastleAU #NewcastleNSW #parrots #BirdsOfOz
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/388/579/461/119/361/original/5b98fe651bab5657.mp4

2026-04-09 11:10:31 CEST

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a guy on a bike passed (walking) me this morning with a brief electric Bzzz. Can't imagine that being heard through headphones!

2026-04-05 05:39:34 CEST

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it's the best!

2026-04-04 12:49:36 CEST

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ooh, lucky you! They sound wonderful. DW sometimes gets Nepali pickles with these, they are effing hot. I love the fragrance of habs, will have to track these down.

2026-04-04 10:08:18 CEST

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can confirm, that's how my mother used to cook them. Such a turnaround to actually like eating zucchini / courgette today.
But DW has banned me from adding to salads; apparently I'm weird for eating them raw.

2026-04-03 14:40:18 CEST

Following on from the CBF picnic, we had a CBF dinner. Had some leftover mince and tofu with mushrooms and greens, sort of Korean style (lots of gochugaru) so fried an onion add beat three eggs to turn it into something like a frittata. :chefkiss:
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/340/802/729/030/529/original/1bf48b651a5df6f0.jpeg

2026-04-03 11:14:55 CEST

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I love eating healthy salads. Best with a nice healthy oil like peanut oil. As I've mentioned, eaten with chopsticks. A good hot wok is critical.

2026-04-03 11:11:42 CEST

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I also hate corner cupboards

2026-04-03 10:33:21 CEST

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and the requisite tablecloth weights of course (always a good breeze there!)

2026-04-03 07:54:00 CEST

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hmmm… coconut muruku…

2026-04-03 07:47:36 CEST

Caught the bus to Kooroora Bay and walked across the Fennell Bay Bridge to the Lions park for a picnic today. Glorious day, nice cooling breeze off the lake.
A simple CBF picnic comprising rice in tiffins, a few jars / cans, and pickled eggs. There was meant to be lettuce too but that stayed home (DW sighs).
Saw pelicans, swans, shags, seagulls from the picnic, and a white-bellied sea eagle from the bus.
Walked back to Toronto afterwards, where we found the crowd enjoying the foreshore. Nice lazy sunny holiday vibes.
#LakeMacquarie #picnic
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/339/169/733/616/372/original/cc857208bc701696.jpg
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/339/169/853/198/883/original/84312bbf4252d2cf.jpg
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/339/169/916/949/994/original/139156171bfdfb55.jpg

2026-04-01 09:45:55 CEST

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I'm sure it's all just "we have enough fuel" but "Australians should cut back fuel use" etc.

2026-04-01 09:35:56 CEST

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I'm hoping it will be underwhelming. Starmer is apparently also addressing the (UK) nation(s), I hope they're not telling us we're answering the call from that arsehole Florida Man.

2026-03-30 14:54:35 CEST

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Paul McCartney wonderful Christmas time

2026-03-30 12:47:45 CEST

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it is once you start walking West from it!

2026-03-30 11:54:12 CEST

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Parramatta looks so good from that distance

2026-03-30 05:21:55 CEST

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https://aus.social/@pelicangut/116300295810847149
#note1cdg…6zd6

2026-03-30 05:13:29 CEST

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after buggering up my dominant hand's wrist, I now use my other hand for tasks when I can. Drinking tea/coffee; carrying shopping baskets or buckets. Can't yet make it use the mouse. Chips would be fine, but not chopsticks!

2026-03-30 05:03:38 CEST

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also the best way to eat salad, I reckon. Forks are just for annoying salad consumers.

2026-03-28 01:39:47 CET

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sounds like the sort of bureau I'd like to plunder.

2026-03-27 09:54:41 CET

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I briefly worked for an IVF company and the andrologist there had two upright grip mouses, so that she could alternate between them. Really bad issues in both hands.
She told me it was from years of collecting semen samples. (It seemed to be her favourite joke)

2026-03-25 05:38:50 CET

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I have been playing the Abraxas album *a lot* lately. Such a great album.
Their Black Magic Woman is of course better than the Fleetwood Mac original…

2026-03-25 05:22:12 CET

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Oye como va mi ritmo?

2026-03-25 04:27:13 CET

Listening to Santana's 1971 album Santana III and it's giving me big Spinal Tap vibes. Especially the start to Taboo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvzcOCLmHoM
Waiting for the henge piece to drop onto the stage…
#Santana

2026-03-23 03:42:05 CET

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don't know. I bought from the fishmongers in Wallsend NSW, they source from either Newcastle fish coöp or Sydney fish markets.
There was a barramundi head/frame there when I got the salmon one, will have to give that one a go next time (but perhaps for a fish stew, really can't be fucked with all this stirring!)

2026-03-23 00:05:42 CET

I'm a big fan of pilafs in all their forms: pilau, pulao, plov, biryani, tehari, paella, machbous al d'jaj, chicken bog, jamabalaya… but I generally just can't be fucked making risotto; all that fucking stirring. Unless it's salmon head risotto.
Taking inspiration from Venice's risotto di gò, which I've never had and likely never will, I use a salmon head and frame in place of the gò. Salmon is an oily fish so I figure it's likely a good stand-in.
I make a stock from the head and frame, with a couple of bay leaves, half an onion, and a teaspoon of salt, enough water to cover and simmered for about 30 minutes.
I then scavenge the head and frame for good meat, which you can see from the first photo is plentiful. Just the easy stuff, I can't be fucked working for it and there's lots there.
In another pot, I make a simple soffritto from onion and diced carrot, add pepper and spices, and stir in arborio rice. Then I start adding the salmon stock, one cup at a time through a sieve, stirring until the rice has soaked it all up. I ended up adding about 5½ cups last night for 1 cup of rice. Meat then stirred through, left to rest 10 minutes.
Bloody lovely dish. A lot of work, but worth doing once a year I reckon. A bit greasy so some might not like that.
#salmon #risotto
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/275/306/564/447/354/original/86e50ee95b0c3d58.jpg
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/275/306/579/672/035/original/e4d8c2ad80a1f872.jpg

2026-03-21 01:17:04 CET

Up at 6:30AM today to ensure I was on time for a scheduled thing, which was cancelled upon my arrival. Eaten by mosquitoes waiting for the bus home. I'm leaning towards it being a 12 Ouzo day.

2026-03-17 08:30:43 CET

Must be time for a waltz. Thanks @npub1unt…e5lx for the prompt.
Two Nice Girls: I Spent My Last $10.00 (On Birth Control and Beer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMiV27R1ZiI
#Waltz #NeedWaltz

2026-03-17 05:55:47 CET

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boo!

2026-03-14 07:18:16 CET

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still holds up too

2026-03-13 23:41:32 CET

After a visit to Bibina, armed with a canned picnic and some rice I brought in our tiffins, we caught the bus to Speers Point Park. Where we discovered that they were setting up for a concert, so all of the picnic tables away from the water had a great view of either black plastic wrapping a fence, or an armada of portaloos.
Undeterred, we set up at a waterside picnic table. In a stiff breeze. Those tablecloth weights earned their keep again.
Quite the stiff breeze, I reckon about 40 km/h with gusts up to 50. A picnic with beanies on. Pouring the wine was a challenge, a little flew onto the tablecloth. DW had the same challenge with the chilli oil on the bamboo shoot pickles. Some soaking will be required to clean the tablecloth and serviettes.
So much of a challenge that we pared lunch back to butter beans in tomato sauce from Greece, smoked sprats (sardines) from Lithuania, and chilli bamboo shoot pickles from China. The rest stayed in their jars.
Worth it for the view, especially when two white-bellied sea eagles glided over, a pelican hovered in the breeze with feet dangling, and a little black shag intrepidly landed in the rough water for a feed.
#LakeMacquarie #picnic #wimdy
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/224/263/294/319/789/original/65fd979008eed5c1.jpg

2026-03-11 03:52:39 CET

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it's apparently easier to cope with if you sing the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOA_SUKEZRE

2026-03-09 00:13:16 CET

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look, maybe the alleged victim tripped and fell on the knife, perhaps a couple of times.

2026-03-05 03:47:20 CET

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fresh is best

2026-03-04 09:06:54 CET

Marc Fennell is back with another of his trademark highly-engaging documentaries. This one is a doozy! I mean, they're all a bit of a roller coaster ride but this one is just wild!
Australia's Greatest Conman?
"Marc Fennell sets out to uncover the truth behind John Friedrich, the man who deceived a nation. He reveals a story that's stranger than fiction, delving into a web of lies and money."
I do vaguely remember the drama about the fraud being discovered, but the story is so much bigger than that. And the storytelling is once again exquisite.
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/australias-greatest-conman
#SBSOnDemand #JohnFriedrich

2026-01-04 05:30:23 CET

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don't have that, just an issue with garlic and raw onions.

2025-12-09 11:07:47 CET

An interesting aspect of solar PV in remote grasslands: fire risk.
"Wellington North solar farm grass fire burns almost 100ha."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-09/wellington-solar-farm-fire/106113846
The risks are manageable, but they actually need to be managed. Regulation required.