Nostr notes by Stephen Collins

Spending a couple of days in Camden on Sydney’s rural outskirts ...

2026-04-21T04:56:43Z

Spending a couple of days in Camden on Sydney’s rural outskirts for Dairy NSW board meetings and meetings with NSW farmers.
As cities overtake these formerly separate towns, and they become semirural exurbs, you wonder what they become as pressure to be more city than country increases.
The hotel we’re at is clearly a community, social, and business hub and is busy every day. It obviously performs an important role here.
As a former city person, the cycle of rural life, the very significant effects felt because of political disconnect and geopolitical instability, the “vibe” of rural towns, and the gap in culture between city and country is something I still feel very clearly; I urge my city friends to ask their country family, friends, and acquaintances how they’re doing and what lies topmost in their concerns, because they’re very different to those in the city.

#bushlife #farming #dairyfarming

Fishy fishy fishy. #cooking ...

2026-04-19T08:14:32Z

Fishy fishy fishy.
#cooking

Could be a lot worse… #bushlife ...

2026-04-07T00:54:44Z

Could be a lot worse…
#bushlife

Playing my first game of Cartograph, an Australian solo #ttrpg by ...

2026-04-04T11:11:24Z

Playing my first game of Cartograph, an Australian solo #ttrpg by The Ravensridge Emporium. The game is focussed on mapmaking and accompanying narrative writing describing your character’s travels. It’s pretty good, and has certainly poked my writing muscles into action.

I’m looking forward to growing the map I’m building and putting some work in to pretty it up with pencils or markers.

3 echidnas seen today. Surely that’s a good omen of some kind? ...

2026-03-19T04:11:42Z

3 echidnas seen today. Surely that’s a good omen of some kind?

#bushlife

Mastodon is 100% the early days of social media all over. Some of ...

2026-03-17T00:13:48Z

Mastodon is 100% the early days of social media all over. Some of you will already be familiar with this story.

My weather station (a very nice Netatmo that has served very well) crapped out after nearly 10 years of excellent service. I asked for recommendations here for a new station that would play nicely with #HomeAssistant, and hopefully, also HomeKit. I received *many* recommendations, with Ecowitt (and the brands it manufactures for) taking the lead.

A connection on here offered me their *unopened* Ecowitt weather station for a very generous price. It arrived yesterday, and I set it up, and it's already doing a great job. Works offline, talks to Home Assistant without any problems. I just need to do a couple of bits of configuration jiggery-pokery and it will pass data to HomeKit.

This is very much how things were when I first joined Twitter in 2007. In spite of attempts at #enshittification of everything, the #fediverse is putting up a good fight.

May your day online be as satisfying as mine was yesterday.

if the Yanks (and friends) think Vietnam and Iraq were ...

2026-03-11T11:03:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…27jf
_________________________

if the Yanks (and friends) think Vietnam and Iraq were challenging, they haven't begun to understand the suffering lightly armed mountain tribes disappearing into the gullies will inflict upon them if they're stupid enough to invade.

Let alone how tough traversing that terrain will be for supply and mounted brigades.

Trump demanding a role in choosing Iran's next leader is ...

2026-03-05T21:33:45Z

Trump demanding a role in choosing Iran's next leader is hubris on a wild scale. But nothing about him surprises anyone anymore, surely.

Imagine if our PM demanded a say in choosing the leader of some random country somewhere else where he wasn't a fan of the previous leader. He'd be laughed at.

But the rest of the world is still so afraid of the US that only a handful are willing to say Trump and the US are ridiculous. There needs to be more pointing and derisive laughing rather than carefully worded diplomatic non-speak.

The US is going to bring itself down, and pull a lot of the rest of us down with it. It's the #enshittification of an entire nation.

#uspol

If you've not yet watched the fabulous SBS series The First ...

2026-03-03T00:38:36Z

If you've not yet watched the fabulous SBS series The First Inventors that looks at Australian Aboriginal technology, culture, and invention covering everything from navigation to family and kinship ties, now is the time to do it. You will spend the 3 hours it runs amazed, fascinated, and probably annoyed like I am at the ignorant attitude colonialists brought to their interaction with our First Nations. I wish this was the learning I did at school in the 80s.

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-first-inventors

There's no way the major parties will allow this to happen, ...

2026-03-02T05:48:40Z

There's no way the major parties will allow this to happen, because they don't want rocks turned over that might show where the money for donations comes from and why we're failing to tax resource extractors properly. But, suffice to say, Senator David Pocock is both right here, and has become a first class troll of the major parties. He's an itch they hate having to scratch and he won't go away because they have nothing he wants - he's there for the people, not for power.

#auspol #prrt

https://www.davidpocock.com.au/new_senate_inquiry_proposed_to_examine_the_great_gas_giveaway

the correct method is to repeatedly suplex the patient until they ...

2026-03-02T01:26:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…etkj
_________________________

the correct method is to repeatedly suplex the patient until they resume breathing and a pulse is restored.

Missed the vomit drink question. ✅✅✅✅❌✅✅✅✅✅ ...

2026-02-27T21:35:50Z

Missed the vomit drink question.

✅✅✅✅❌✅✅✅✅✅
The Saturday Paper Quiz No. 589
I got 9/10!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/quiz/2026/02/28?rival=1111011111

Men (particularly, as responses are needed) of my acquaintance, ...

2026-02-27T07:18:01Z

Men (particularly, as responses are needed) of my acquaintance, but frankly anyone: the daughter of a colleague of mine is studying gender and stereotypes for a personal interest project for her Year 12 studies and needs responses to a short (it took me about 15 minutes) survey on crime and gender (particularly masculine) stereotypes.

With her permission, I am posting the link (Google Form). If you choose to respond, I encourage you to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. She's clearly doing something interesting here and might learn some very big things.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXFcg_ySqihJ7skLNPCfsb9tKSWm9cEm9wl-1UwBLABZ780g/viewform

more Braidwood news. It's quite the place! ...

2026-02-22T03:03:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…xs8v
_________________________

more Braidwood news. It's quite the place!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-22/braidwood-nsw-heritage-listed-town-turning-point-future/106362514

This is how farming should be done. Adapt breeding (animals and ...

2026-02-21T07:46:08Z

This is how farming should be done. Adapt breeding (animals and plants) to the conditions, not change the land for the breeds. Post-WW2 industrial farming is incredibly destructive, chemical and drug intensive, and not in harmony with nature, climate, or humanity.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-21/braidwood-farmer-new-lamb-cooked-local-restaurant-expat-chefs/106358970?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

A heap of leftover basil going wonky means it’s time to make a ...

2026-02-21T00:36:33Z

A heap of leftover basil going wonky means it’s time to make a fuckton of pesto. Recipe from Diane Seed’s “The Top 100 Pasta Sauces”, which is absolutely my go-to for authentic pasta stuff.

Nostr event nevent1qqszeceqmvmvhd20zm5h64xvmtas0trckvakzgnmhfcwzmarps7wtfqzyp2yvy6ukvmzac399yy3jx2vrdymdlpjudpgdrz035jqp3q9cmgn55qrzj2

2026-02-19T02:30:40Z

Have woken around 4am the past two days. Zorsted.

Fountain pen users of the Pachydermiverse... If you don't use ...

2026-02-18T22:07:40Z

Fountain pen users of the Pachydermiverse... If you don't use a pen very often (my case) what do you do to ensure the ink in your pen (I use cartridges) doesn't dry out in the pen or evaporate?

Elizabeth M, stationer (npub1vjm…em2f) this seems a thing you might know about. Same for Nathanael C (npub13yx…7sek).

Someone has used "we will revert" in correspondence to ...

2026-02-18T09:08:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…k4s5
_________________________

Someone has used "we will revert" in correspondence to the board and I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns.

#farming #dairyfarming #governance

Dairy NSW board meeting tomorrow. Just doing a last recheck of ...

2026-02-18T08:58:11Z

Dairy NSW board meeting tomorrow. Just doing a last recheck of the papers to make sure I'm across it all.

#farming #dairyfarming #governance

Satisfactory outcome for a set of questions with a couple of ...

2026-02-13T22:33:35Z

Satisfactory outcome for a set of questions with a couple of obscure ones. I am nothing if not a repository of otherwise useless information.

✅✅✅❌✅✅✅✅✅✅
The Saturday Paper Quiz No. 587
I got 9/10!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/quiz/2026/02/14?rival=1110111111

RFS call-out earlier. No fire, but the more common for our ...

2026-02-02T04:00:59Z

RFS call-out earlier. No fire, but the more common for our brigade of “assist ambos”. Just a km from my place. It wasn’t much, but made a real difference to the people we helped, particularly the fella in palliative care needing a lift from his couch to his bed that the ambos couldn’t do on their own. Sometimes you make a difference to someone by easing them along and showing a touch of compassion.

#RFS #volunteering

as I haven't installed it anywhere yet, @npub1l38…ky3k ...

2026-01-31T06:06:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…a5nv
_________________________

as I haven't installed it anywhere yet, Linux Mint (npub1l38…ky3k) reamins "this *looks* good" to me. I can't imagine it would be bad, though.

My 2019 MacBook Pro (2.4GHz Core i5, 8Gb RAM, 13” screen, 4 ...

2026-01-31T05:36:17Z

My 2019 MacBook Pro (2.4GHz Core i5, 8Gb RAM, 13” screen, 4 Thunderbolt ports, Touch Bar) now running an iFixit (npub1ulc…x3hg) replacement battery (today’s project) has done me all the service it needs to.

It can’t update macOS any higher than Sequoia 15, but will certainly happily continue to do that or run some flavour of Linux such as Linux Mint (npub1l38…ky3k). The Touch Bar has the blinkies when at rest, but works.

I have the original box and power supply to go with it.

If you cover postage and the cost of the replacement battery kit (AU$200), I’m happy to send it to you anywhere in Australia.

#diy #repair

if finance systems can extract invoice details based on ...

2026-01-23T23:17:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…nh2e
_________________________

if finance systems can extract invoice details based on standardised text, medical systems *could* do something similar. It’s an active decision not to. And thus the bad behaviour I moaned about.

That Medicare requires renewed referrals for existing treatment and testing - in this example, Alli’s post breast cancer treatment is a 5-year known chain of events - is just not okay.

The medical referral system is 100% a cartel collaboration ...

2026-01-23T22:31:38Z

The medical referral system is 100% a cartel collaboration between practitioners.

My partner has a 2-year post surgery appointment with the surgeon who did her lumpectomy but they won’t let her show up unless she goes to her GP first. She has an established relationship with that surgeon. It’s absolutely unwarranted.

In the same vein, why the heck can’t practices send test orders and such to each other by email? Requiring a physical printed order for tests is absolute nonsense when the information will end up in a practice management system.

Nostr event nevent1qqs9tqemsw7gksy06dl4t6t84ayp89fxkps4lqk4q0cnuq0mg50k08qzyp2yvy6ukvmzac399yy3jx2vrdymdlpjudpgdrz035jqp3q9cmgn5lx5yr3

2026-01-15T05:53:19Z

Absolutely fucking bucketing

I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to look like that. Got the ...

2026-01-11T23:27:23Z

I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to look like that.

Got the first two fingers on my right hand jammed between a trailer handle and towbar hooking up this morning.
#farming

Cops with long arms at a sporting event will have the direct ...

2026-01-03T02:32:37Z

Cops with long arms at a sporting event will have the direct opposite effect of making people feel safer. We’re bothered by guns as a society here.
Cop brain worms in full flight on this one.
#acab
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/03/police-to-carry-long-arm-rifles-final-ashes-test-sydney-heightened-security-after-bondi-attack-ntwnfb

If you haven’t read this yet, you should. It’s the funniest ...

2025-12-25T02:57:54Z

If you haven’t read this yet, you should. It’s the funniest thing you will read this Christmas.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/22/edible-take-edge-off-family-christmas-day-on-floor

Our small B&B cottage would normally be closed over Christmas ...

2025-12-12T22:29:59Z

Our small B&B cottage would normally be closed over Christmas to new year, but we've decided to open it up. If you feel like a post-Christmas getaway from the noise and city lights, come visit! We'll give you 10% off (Airbnb doesn't do discount codes, but I'll do it after you book and refund you if you DM me here or mention it when you book).

#travel #BAndB

https://airbnb.com.au/h/mountain-cottage-at-rock-lily

Just a reminder that it is completely unnecessary to buy up ...

2025-11-20T20:55:49Z

Just a reminder that it is completely unnecessary to buy up during Black Friday sales (or other sales - there are always discounts available). It’s especially unnecessary to buy from billionaire capitalist robber baron owned businesses.

Buy your books from the local indie bookstore, your electronics from the locally owned smaller business (probably still a chain store), clothes from a smaller, independent manufacturer or a re/up-cycling specialist, and so on.

You can do it.

I've no connection to that community, other than friends ...

2025-11-12T06:11:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…k37k
_________________________

I've no connection to that community, other than friends involved. But I was a Basecamp (and other product) customer for a very long time, paying for my business and staff to use it.

The “no political discussion at work" thing ended that.

DHH has proved to be the absolute antithesis of everything he ...

2025-11-12T05:58:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…ktwu
_________________________

DHH has proved to be the absolute antithesis of everything he seemed to be when Basecamp and 37signals were at their peak.

You truly have to wonder what it will take for the Ruby community to roundly reject him.

So, I’m one of the people Microsoft has been forced by the ACCC ...

2025-11-05T23:42:17Z

So, I’m one of the people Microsoft has been forced by the ACCC to email in Australia to offer a downgrade on their O365 Family subs (I'll eventually convince my family we don't need it) because they hid the option to take a version without CoPilot.

However, when you click on the link in the email to downgrade, rather than going to a page where you can do that, you go to a page where you are offered a new subscription to a single-user-only version.

Parsing the URL it goes to, it's pretty clear how to figure out what it *should* be, and you can complete the downgrade by changing the url to https://checkout.microsoft365.com/acquire/purchase?language=en-AU&market=AU&requestedDuration=Year&scenario=microsoft-365-family-classic&matchDuration=true&campaign=M365ClassicDowngrade&upsell=false

I’m fairly certain this is not what the Commission intended.

#microsoft #enshittification

Wadbilliga NP is literally on our doorstep. We look at it from ...

2025-11-01T21:06:13Z

Wadbilliga NP is literally on our doorstep. We look at it from our back veranda. I'd love to know where in the park this was!

#bushlife #conservation

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/01/gumnuts-baby-how-two-abseiling-horticulturalists-rescued-specimens-from-an-endangered-tree

The dogs were grumbling outside. Here’s why: a lace monitor ...

2025-11-01T02:46:50Z

The dogs were grumbling outside. Here’s why: a lace monitor about 150cm long (5’)

#bushlife

slightly related aside: alerts are currently the bane of my ...

2025-10-16T00:11:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…m5k4
_________________________

slightly related aside: alerts are currently the bane of my #HomeAssistant existence. Figuring out how to replace the alerts from a bunch of disparate ecosystems and vendor-specific apps is doing my head in.

Nostr event nevent1qqsq7wfppu08mggkdnp8mvuak870wrk6u5q8q3mf99p5d78h9vhq2tczyp2yvy6ukvmzac399yy3jx2vrdymdlpjudpgdrz035jqp3q9cmgn5xhctc4

2025-09-28T09:01:55Z

Right, 0300 alarm for 0400 dairy shift. ‘Night tooters!

I speak reasonably decent WordPress on the back end, but coding ...

2025-09-28T04:18:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…fmff
_________________________

I speak reasonably decent WordPress on the back end, but coding isn’t my strong suit. Static would likely do the job, but something that plays Fedi would be nice. Just have to work out where I put it.

Minor DNS fuckery will be required as the zone file is looked after by Fastmail. I’ll probably need to source some simple hosting.

we’re not mutual, but it is high time I had a personal site ...

2025-09-28T04:16:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…un42
_________________________

we’re not mutual, but it is high time I had a personal site back up. And Ghost seems like the ideal backend. I shall investigate!

Due to interminable order delays and my apathy in cancelling the ...

2025-09-26T02:38:01Z

Due to interminable order delays and my apathy in cancelling the order, I have ended up with a second copy of The Care of Things thanks to my local bookshop taking less than a week to get it in against the nearly 3 months from an online bookstore.

Does anybody (in Australia) want the second copy? $50 and I’ll cover postage.

Off they go to get milked. #dairyfarming ...

2025-09-15T17:32:42Z

Off they go to get milked.

#dairyfarming

I’m not sure I can find a violin small enough to show my ...

2025-09-06T01:26:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…zvqh
_________________________

I’m not sure I can find a violin small enough to show my sympathy for the Met here.

Wombat fam. #bushlife ...

2025-09-05T04:54:50Z

Wombat fam.

#bushlife

I’ve always read and usually have both fiction and nonfiction ...

2025-09-05T02:26:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…epdx
_________________________

I’ve always read and usually have both fiction and nonfiction on the go. I also consume a LOT of written media online from half a dozen current affairs sites, to pop culture, to science and politics. I’d guess I average 2-3 hours deliberate reading a day.

cracking track

2025-09-03T01:04:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…u2zm
_________________________

cracking track

Everything old is new again. Tilba milk in refillable 1l bottles ...

2025-09-03T00:36:04Z

Everything old is new again. Tilba milk in refillable 1l bottles at the co-op in Bega. 😊

#food #dairy

Yet another example of what was fundamentally a good idea for ...

2025-08-25T00:55:47Z

Yet another example of what was fundamentally a good idea for what should have been a *public* good fucked over by a get-rich-quick privatisation scheme resulting in massive oversupply in the *wrong* locations.

#disability

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-25/specialist-disability-accommodation-sda-empty-homes-four-corners/105685946

It remains an absolute travesty that basic dental care is not ...

2025-08-20T21:42:41Z

It remains an absolute travesty that basic dental care is not provided free on Medicare. I have my regular check today, and while I can afford it, many cannot. This problem is easily fixed and it should have been years ago.

#auspol #healthcare

this is one of the reasons I retain Google Home devices right ...

2025-08-06T04:16:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…c3nm
_________________________

this is one of the reasons I retain Google Home devices right now. I can't yet get HA to work well for my partner and BIL who has disabilities.

Shepherd’s pie. It’s what’s for dinner. ...

2025-08-01T08:23:37Z

Shepherd’s pie. It’s what’s for dinner.

Bloody wombats got under the fence. I sprung two of them in here ...

2025-07-26T02:06:33Z

Bloody wombats got under the fence. I sprung two of them in here last night. What a pain in the arse.

Solution is, on past experience, dog poo, human wee, and either star pickets driven in and cut off at ground level, or one of the heavy concrete sleepers I have a pile of here.

Who wants to come give me a hand?

#bushlife

or maybe it is?

2025-07-23T05:10:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…jfh6
_________________________

or maybe it *is*?

This seems extremely cool and a bright flame in the darkness of ...

2025-07-13T02:56:49Z

This seems extremely cool and a bright flame in the darkness of language being eroded and lost. Good on First Nations people from across the world sharing their victories with each other.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-13/native-american-fluency-model-indigenous-language-alice-springs/105462642

It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally the doggos that visit ...

2025-07-13T02:14:45Z

It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally the doggos that visit leave us a treat.

#BedAndBreakast #BandB

The problems faced by the NT are clearly structural and social, ...

2025-06-19T21:38:09Z

The problems faced by the NT are clearly structural and social, yet this weird heightened cop brain approach persists under their aggressively down-punching Chief Minster. This will never be how those problems are solved.

#ntpol
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-20/nt-police-public-safety-officers-criticism-firearms-powers/105430704?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

This might be the most egregious example of cop brain I've ...

2025-06-17T06:19:16Z

This might be the most egregious example of cop brain I've seen in a while. One, that Rolfe is pitching himself as a speaker, and two that an event has booked him (the name of the event tells me pretty clearly it is going to be chock-full of tactical-casual wearing former and current responder types; you will not be able to move for polo shirts and black or tan chinos with leg pockets).

#acab

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/17/zachary-rolfe-event-speaking-circuit-ntwnfb

Satisfactory. ✅❌❌✅✅✅✅❌✅✅ The Saturday Paper ...

2025-06-14T08:55:08Z

Satisfactory.

✅❌❌✅✅✅✅❌✅✅
The Saturday Paper Quiz No. 554
I got 7/10!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/quiz/2025/06/13?rival=1001111011

no sticks and rocks. They have to use their rageboners to fight.

2025-06-13T03:03:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…fe7z
_________________________

no sticks and rocks. They have to use their rageboners to fight.

“When Cameron came to Egypt Laaaaaand…”

2025-06-10T06:14:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…mnmm
_________________________

“When Cameron came to Egypt Laaaaaand…”

There is a lady in this room with the most amazing, swishy, Farah ...

2025-05-28T05:28:03Z

There is a lady in this room with the most amazing, swishy, Farah Fawcett/Jaclyn Smith hair. It’s great and a whole mood.

Looks like about half the surface soil from the dry bits of NSW ...

2025-05-27T00:48:43Z

Looks like about half the surface soil from the dry bits of NSW and Victoria has been blown into the Brogo River valley by last night’s wind.

Sorry, folks.
#drought #farming

I have a beautiful Italian-made overcoat that I got from Blades. ...

2025-05-18T08:45:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…2jlg
_________________________

I have a beautiful Italian-made overcoat that I got from Blades. Haven’t worn it in about 3 years.

But I used to live there.

2025-05-18T08:23:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…45fq
_________________________

But I *used* to live there.

Just watch it for 4 minutes. Revel in the craft on show. ...

2025-05-15T05:40:35Z

Just watch it for 4 minutes. Revel in the craft on show.

https://youtu.be/TxvOMHoLRBY

I'm trying to figure out how best to do them, principally for ...

2025-05-12T03:46:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…whmd
_________________________

I'm trying to figure out how best to do them, principally for the non-tech people of the house.

As an example, we have some Google cameras and a doorbell I don't have the money (or reasonable excuse) to replace. The Google Home app will happily alert a user on seeing vehicles, known faces, or unknown faces, packages, and notify the doorbell has been rung. Some, but not all of these things are exposed to HA. Enough that I could replace Google Home for almost all meaningful circumstances.

I'd like to replicate and replace that functionality as closely as possible in HA, with alerts to phones, a voice assistant, and on a dashboard. I'm a touch short on time and can't find someone who's done it on Reddit or the HA community, so I'm trying to figure it out slightly blind.

I feel this in my bones. See also my current battle with ...

2025-05-12T02:59:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…hntg
_________________________

I feel this in my bones. See also my current battle with notifications.

Day 3 of gastro/stomach flu. I am done. At least the Imodium has ...

2025-05-03T22:53:46Z

Day 3 of gastro/stomach flu. I am done. At least the Imodium has kicked in.

for people in the Bega bit of Eden-Monaro, Bega High School has ...

2025-05-02T01:37:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…w7gm
_________________________

for people in the Bega bit of Eden-Monaro, Bega High School has it all going on with sausages, burgers, egg and bacon, cakes, drinks, and a firewood raffle.

Brogo Community Hall where I will be otoh, has nada. Then again, it will see fewer than 200 voters on the day.

Email letting me know that my NSW NPWS all parks annual pass has ...

2025-04-26T07:04:35Z

Email letting me know that my NSW NPWS all parks annual pass has been automatically renewed thanks to being an RFS volunteer.

If you’re a vollie and haven't done this, I recommend it. All fees covered in NSW parks.

I read several news outlets each day (as I'm sure many others ...

2025-04-23T20:55:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…kll3
_________________________

I read several news outlets each day (as I'm sure many others here do). The frequency with which I see a similar-sounding word (that's a homophone, for interested readers) that's clearly the wrong one, or a terrible spelling that has passed through editing is anxiety-inducing.

this is where I, a spelling, grammar, and etymology nerd and a ...

2025-04-23T20:45:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…3720
_________________________

this is where I, a spelling, grammar, and etymology nerd and a person who studied journalism and English lit, suggest we get a club to beat people about the head until they learn how to spell properly, and understand *why* things are spelled that way.

Coco could best be described as “solicitous” and ...

2025-04-21T02:29:38Z

Coco could best be described as “solicitous” and “demanding” when it comes to being brushed.

#catsofmastodon

look, they’re a staple for me, but yes.

2025-04-19T02:39:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…h09x
_________________________

look, they’re a staple for me, but yes.

Big seas on the coast at Camel Rock and Horse Head Rock. Gulaga ...

2025-04-19T02:37:35Z

Big seas on the coast at Camel Rock and Horse Head Rock. Gulaga looking resplendent in the sea haze.
#FarSouthCoast #hiking

Religion and chemistry letting me down this morning. ...

2025-04-18T23:14:05Z

Religion and chemistry letting me down this morning.

✅✅✅✅✅✅❌✅❌✅
The Saturday Paper Quiz No. 546
I got 8/10!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/quiz/2025/04/19?rival=1111110101

Helicopter fail… ✅✅✅✅❌✅✅✅✅✅ The Saturday ...

2025-04-12T01:54:01Z

Helicopter fail…

✅✅✅✅❌✅✅✅✅✅
The Saturday Paper Quiz No. 545
I got 9/10!
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/quiz/2025/04/12?rival=1111011111

Oopsie. Someone’s getting a helicopter ride to Canberra ...

2025-04-11T04:00:35Z

Oopsie. Someone’s getting a helicopter ride to Canberra shortly. It'll be back over our place in about 30 minutes.

Rescue flights are about the only aircraft we hear.

technically, humans are also straws.

2025-04-08T09:56:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…cqyk
_________________________

technically, humans are also straws.

First loaf of sourdough from new starter after my last starter ...

2025-04-08T02:34:26Z

First loaf of sourdough from new starter after my last starter went manky.

Looks the goods. Ready for lunch!

#baking #sourdough

Feedback after an initial issue email to a certain men’s ...

2025-03-30T06:44:49Z

Feedback after an initial issue email to a certain men’s grooming product manufacturer. They responded with AI generic text and then asked for feedback on that response.

Righty-o!

Hard life for this working cat. Coco taking 500. #bushlife ...

2025-03-23T23:36:35Z

Hard life for this working cat. Coco taking 500.
#bushlife #catsofmastodon

overhead projector or gtfo

2025-03-19T07:45:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…cq2n
_________________________

overhead projector or gtfo

$partner is beginning to look for a new vehicle and has decided ...

2025-03-15T03:00:15Z

$partner is beginning to look for a new vehicle and has decided watching video reviews is the way to go, and I just *cannot*. Just give me something to read quietly.

Also, *why the fuck* don’t cars these days have a spare tyre!?

EU hosted or choice to do so? GDPR compliant? End-to-end ...

2025-03-02T06:00:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…07u8
_________________________

EU hosted or choice to do so? GDPR compliant? End-to-end encrypted? All traffic unable to be read by you? Custom domains? Multiple users? Masked addresses? Import from other services?

If it’s US-hosted, current circumstances indicate that it wouldn’t be a prudent choice.

it must be emotionally exhausting being an even halfway decent ...

2025-02-28T21:29:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…xphr
_________________________

it must be emotionally exhausting being an even halfway decent American right now. Living with that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach every day, wondering what, where, and how things will go to pieces next.

Before. After. New laundry alcove doors at Mountain Cottage. ...

2025-02-22T04:01:32Z

Before. After. New laundry alcove doors at Mountain Cottage. Bracken Cottage gets the same treatment in a couple of weeks.

The previous doors were interior slatted cedar. Great for your sunroom, not so good exposed to the weather. They were coated with years of repainting.

The new doors are exterior pine framing with 90mm merbeu decking stiles. I’ll be adding some fine fly mesh to the inside of the doors to reduce dust and leaf blow-in.

#diy #handmade

Mate, how am I supposed to cut up this decking if you’ve taken ...

2025-02-20T02:29:49Z

Mate, how am I supposed to cut up this decking if you’ve taken it over?

#bushlife #lizard #JackyDragon

New coarse composting basket in place. Now I need to find some ...

2025-02-19T03:54:42Z

New coarse composting basket in place. Now I need to find some kind of accelerator.
#bushlife #gardening

This boofhead decided to ignore its mama calling and camp in our ...

2025-02-11T19:53:33Z

This boofhead decided to ignore its mama calling and camp in our front garden this morning. Its family group move through our front yard early most days.

It’ll reunite with the group later, but right now it’s being recalcitrant.

#bushlife #FallowDeer #DamaDama #InvasiveSpecies

Fedifriends we're shutting down Facebook and Instagram for ...

2025-02-03T04:43:58Z

Fedifriends we're shutting down Facebook and Instagram for our B&B and going fedi. Now, we're not the types to be overly commercial (if you follow us on those other places, you’ll know that) so we're looking for the right home. aus.social would be ideal, because then everything would have the same home. However, given server rules, aus.social seems like it's not the appropriate place for me to put our B&B's account.

We'd prefer an Australian server. Managed by someone we know.

Thoughts? Advice? They're welcome.

We're also looking for a place to put photos, and I think pixelfed.au will be it.

The absolute fucking fragility of men who think they're being ...

2025-02-02T23:59:58Z

The absolute fucking fragility of men who think they're being overlooked and disenfranchised… Want to be a manly man? Be good at what you do at home *and* at work. Respect others, especially people different to you (except fascists and their fellow travellers who can diaf). Have the will and curiosity to learn and understand.

This manosphere shit is so arse backwards. I will never tolerate it. I will always call it out.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-03/peter-dutton-appealling-to-young-male-voters-at-election/104886724

#auspol

as a local from 1978 to 2021, at no time did I hear it referred ...

2025-01-24T08:16:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…mdw4
_________________________

as a local from 1978 to 2021, at no time did I hear it referred to in that way.

"Penis Owl” otoh, for the sculpture in Belconnen... often.

4 years today since we went bush. Better health. Better mental ...

2025-01-22T01:58:46Z

4 years today since we went bush. Better health. Better mental health. 1/4 the income. Far better off overall.

All the double glazing is in at our place. I need to paint the ...

2025-01-17T05:57:13Z

All the double glazing is in at our place. I need to paint the architrave on this, but the new triptych window is pretty nice with its 20km+ viewpoint.

#renovations

Grow, little basil plants, grow. #gardening #food ...

2025-01-09T07:28:54Z

Grow, little basil plants, grow.
#gardening #food

With Meta/Zuckerberg announcing the end of moderation on those ...

2025-01-09T00:27:22Z

With Meta/Zuckerberg announcing the end of moderation on those platforms, I'm going to cease using Facebook and Instagram for personal and business purposes. I'll stay there because people I know use those things to keep in touch, but I won't post actively.

I plan to move my personal and business Instagram to pixelfed.au ( Pixelfed dot AU Admin (npub16aq…vpy5) is that okay?).

Given aus.social rules, where do folks think the best place for a general social posting account for our B&B is? It's generally low-key, non-marketing stuff showing off the region, wildlife, and flora.

Just another reason (in an increasingly long list) to kill your ...

2024-12-23T21:45:31Z

Just another reason (in an increasingly long list) to kill your #Spotify acoount and switch to another music provider, ideally one that pays more acceptable rates to artists.
https://harpers.org/archive/2025/01/the-ghosts-in-the-machine-liz-pelly-spotify-musicians/