AndrewR

Brisbanite

Enthusiastic gardener and bushcarer. Maintainer of a #vergegarden.

Working in IT as a Linux Systems Engineer. I've long been interested in FOSS and digital rights but I'm not overly active in that space right now. Aspiring mini-labber with a small self-hosted footprint.

Website (currently down): https://roffey.au

Public Key

npub1282wvmj88a52gg7ape3gfhnphqf5up5fdne5fg67wchfguvhsv6qms77fh

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9r48xdern769yy0wsuc5ymesmsy6wq6ykeu6y5d08vt55wxtcxdqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsek4k58

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1282wvmj88a52gg7ape3gfhnphqf5up5fdne5fg67wchfguvhsv6qms77fh

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Last Notes

2026-07-12 19:20:19 UTC

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the Moccona jars are more airtight than other brands from experience. Never tried putting instant in the fridge though.

2026-05-27 02:28:13 UTC

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also NewPipe is really good, I always play YT videos there rather than in a browser

2026-04-21 08:23:31 UTC

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I concur. Microsoft Safelinks also turns any plaintext email with a link into completed garbage. It makes the links way less safe if you ask me.

2026-04-06 03:46:14 UTC

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agree. There's a big difference, say, between someone hurtling down the Veloway on a hill at 40km/h versus someone strolling on their commuter bike to the local shops. The latter scenario is of course incomprehensible to some people who view cycling as a sport.

2026-04-06 03:36:41 UTC

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yes please! The CBD bike grid was a good start but the momentum hasn't kept up, and the grid is obviously incomplete. It kinda just spits cyclists out unexpectedly near Eagle Street without many north-south options. Also hard accessing the grid from most of the CBD.

2026-03-31 04:41:23 UTC

‘If they want us on the roads, we’re getting on the roads’: Riders plot peak-hour protest
via Brisbane Times: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/if-they-want-us-on-the-roads-we-re-getting-on-the-roads-riders-plot-peak-hour-protest-20260331-p5zk4j.html
Archive link: https://archive.is/dlYRc
I'll be going tomorrow to show my support - 5pm at Raymond Park, Kangaroo Point: https://www.facebook.com/events/26438874392465778
#cyclinginbrisbane #space4cyclingbne

2026-03-28 08:39:41 UTC

Sent my email to the e-mobility inquiry committee via https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/emobility.
It only takes 5 minutes if you have the time.
I added a note about the active transport infrastructure deficit. Cycling, e-bikes and scooters have been on the rise in Brisbane and Queensland for many years. Creating an effective ban on e-bikes and e-mobility would affect so many people in a time when we need more of it, not less.
Many accidents have also involved e-motorbikes which were already previously illegal. Enforcement of those already illegal devices should be far more of a priority than introducing new laws.
#brisbane #cyclinginbrisbane #space4cyclingbne

2026-03-26 07:16:25 UTC

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my god this is fucking dumb. I was planning on purchasing an e-bike for my future commute but considering around a third of it is on shared paths that plan is dead in the water.
Unless I ride with 60km/h car traffic.

2026-03-02 13:42:38 UTC

Loving the urban trees in Ipoh, Malaysia (1/2)
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/116/159/858/484/729/125/original/42a50ab1220e40cb.jpg
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2026-01-22 19:36:43 UTC

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good luck! 🤞

2026-01-22 08:46:32 UTC

In September last year I put in a request to have a bike lane near me pruned of obstructing vegetation. It was completely blocked and unusable, in a busy, high density area in #Brisbane.
5 phone calls and 140 days since my original request, and it has finally been done. No communications from council since then, they didn't bother letting me know like they're supposed to.
WTAF BCC 🤦
#cyclinginbrisbane

2026-01-10 00:35:17 UTC

Little helper at the compost bins this morning
#brisbanegardening
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/867/994/017/703/930/original/57774718cb5e751b.jpg

2025-11-06 21:29:06 UTC

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(｢ ⊙Д⊙)｢
That is very cool indeed, I'll take a look today

2025-11-06 20:27:34 UTC

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that is very true 😄 There are a few articles online that basically say, why learn vim and tmux when you can learn Emacs. Maybe it's too late on that front, but nonetheless I do sometimes wonder what things are like on the other side...

2025-11-06 10:48:52 UTC

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Maybe someday I'll learn emacs

2025-11-06 10:13:56 UTC

I'm getting a bit more into #tmux lately after a few years as a casual user.
I've been using windows a lot more and renaming them so I can find them again (previously I just had one window with a million panes).
I'm using the tmux copy/paste buffer which is way better than trying to copy/paste text via xterm or xfce4-terminal.
I finally figured out what *M means, apparently it's when I hit the wrong key combo going to the next window and mark a pane instead.
Today I entered hard mode without a cursor-capable terminal. Why? Well, it's complicated, but the short answer is that I have use Guacamole (RDP/SSH in a web browser) with RDP on one screen and SSH on the other. I don't think I could have taken the plunge a few years ago but it feels comfortable now, like vim.

2025-10-13 04:54:19 UTC

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if you're affected and the OAIC mishandles your complaint (which can be a multi-year process), don't forget you can complain about the OAIC itself to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. Personally I'm inclined to think that the OAIC is a toothless tiger with no power to do much of any real value.

2025-10-12 11:51:00 UTC

Fun weekend camping at D'Aguilar National Park, not too hot either
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/361/035/083/022/401/original/2359c453ed42c98b.jpg
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2025-10-04 12:24:26 UTC

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cool! I'll be there, it'll be nice to meet people here IRL 😎

2025-09-19 04:38:25 UTC

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thanks! I started simple, just dianellas, lomandras, cordylines, bird's nest and binung ferns. I'd like it to be a native "cultivated wilderness" type of garden with a bit more in the way of native wildflowers.
The soil is mostly quite hard, rocky clay, so quite challenging conditions, but it's doing surprising well.
Over the past month I've added in some lobeliad, golden glory pea, native raspberry, poa grass, native leak, small shrubby pine, "Little John" bottlebrush, coastal westringia, grevillias and schonia filifolia. Most of it has survived, so far so good :)

2025-09-19 02:24:49 UTC

New gardens going here soon
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/228/584/157/814/972/original/8269a36b4b0ac34f.jpg
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/115/228/585/665/707/703/original/14d5f9507581caf5.jpg

2025-07-31 04:38:27 UTC

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there are so many old suburbs that are ripe for replanning and redevelopment too.
Case in point, Sunnybank area where plenty of old houses are being knocked down and rebuilt, houses along Mains Rd have been converted into commercial tenancies and local prices are sky high because of lack of supply and high demand. I can't see people defending the "way of life" directly on Mains Road, because it's probably a bit shit. It could be redeveloped to have a local access road and a mixed use development, and more townhouse and low-rise with a separated BRT line and a road diet (the left lane is mostly a bus lane anyway).
There are so many other examples of potential redevelopment that would prevent indefinite urban expansion. The Greater Brisbane footprint is already massive which is a financial burden but it also has massive upzoning potential.

2025-07-30 09:57:17 UTC

Thinking about what the best VPN endpoints are for internet freedom - Iceland and Canada come to mind as they aren't in the UK, US, EU or Australia and rate pretty highly in the Internet Freedom Index.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net
Also looking at deploying a Signal TLS Proxy soon that routes to a less fucked country.

2025-07-09 07:23:35 UTC

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Brisbane needs zone reform IMO. The blocks where I live are all zoned exactly for what's already there, LMR where there are some old '80s-90s era brick apartments and townhouses, and low for everything else, which seems problematic.
A mix of everything is nice: duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, apartments and freestanding houses. Zone applications are timely and expensive which is why developers mostly do it for tall 10+ story apartment buildings closer to the city (which I'm not opposed to, but I'm sceptical of the reasons why that's happening).
Apparently the Nathan/Moorooka/Salisbury neighborhood plan is the last neighbourhood plan that the city will do. Now BCC will be doing smaller precinct plans instead. Not necessarily a bad thing but I would have thought that the city would need both going forward.

2025-07-03 00:42:50 UTC

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Brisbane represent 🖖
(I did technically spend my first year or so living in Logan, plus half of my schooling there, but close enough right?)

2025-06-24 10:59:51 UTC

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I have three different types of locks (I use all at once), my theory being that it would be more annoying to steal. U-lock + cable lock + folding lock.
Honestly the U-lock is the only "secure" lock of the three locks, but the cable lock can wrap around the frame and at least one wheel.

2025-06-20 09:29:26 UTC

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oat and almond crew here 😎✌ Work provides both which is really nice. They can also stock up on it and open as needed since it's long life. I know UHT cow's milk is a thing but a lot of cow's milk drinkers don't like it. It seems insane how much milk gets wasted every week she the old stuff goes off.

2025-06-11 08:11:33 UTC

Got a bit of a headache tonight.
Also a full moon's coming. That can only mean one thing...
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/114/663/713/975/977/751/original/94f636a3dc1e4e35.jpg

2025-06-10 07:01:15 UTC

#brisbane
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/114/657/775/515/104/450/original/34a5e955209de9e8.jpg

2025-06-08 21:51:21 UTC

I was thinking about how Brisbane seems destined to repeat Boston's Big Dig a few days ago.
Seems I'm not the only one: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-story-bridge-should-serve-as-a-warning-and-an-opportunity-20250603-p5m4ir.html
TransApex (the existing tunnels) were largely implemented to compliment the above ground network rather than replacing them.
Don't get me wrong, the idea of putting the expressway and ICB underground sounds fantastic to me. But the space still needed for all of the tunnel portals would still be significant, and the costs even more so. That kind of money would be better spent on Brisbane Subway IMO.
"The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the United States" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig

2025-05-21 06:31:35 UTC

Nice sunny day in the river city
#brisbane
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/114/544/410/594/179/594/original/e46291402ba9d80c.jpg

2025-05-18 08:59:22 UTC

"Here’s what walking the council’s Story Bridge footpath detour is really like"
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/here-s-what-walking-the-council-s-story-bridge-footpath-detour-is-really-like-20250506-p5lwwy.html
#unwalkablebrisbane #brisbane

2025-05-16 07:44:42 UTC

BCC petition to create temporary active transport lanes on the Story Bridge while the footpaths are closed - signed!
https://www.epetitions.brisbane.qld.gov.au/petition/view/pid/1451
#brisbane

2025-05-14 12:20:55 UTC

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it's death to green space by one thousand cuts 😢😡

2025-04-17 12:16:27 UTC

#Brisbane bike riders want parity with how drivers are treated.
I know several people who have been affected by this. The Story Bridge pedestrian/bike pathway have been closed and no information provided when they'll reopen.
Why not put a popup shared path in a lane on each side?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/13/sudden-closure-of-iconic-bridge-to-cyclists-shows-car-is-still-king-in-brisbane
#cyclinginbrisbane #UnwalkableBrisbane

2025-04-10 02:29:03 UTC

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*tips fedora*

2025-04-09 12:21:51 UTC

How #Brisbane is getting e-scooters all wrong (I concur)
https://readreed.com.au/2025/02/15/footpath-obstacles-how-brisbane-is-getting-e-scooters-wrong/
#unwalkablebrisbane

2025-04-09 07:54:42 UTC

These Neuron and Lime scooters are getting a bit annoying (if they weren't already).
Lime have been dumping dozens on the footpath everyday in a busy spot in front of the Goodwill bridge, presumably for QUT GP students (noting e-scooters are banned on campus).
On at least one occasion a scooter was neatly lined up going into the bike path. Missed the opportunity for a photo but I'm sure it'll happen again.
In the meantime I'll keep cursive at Big Scooter for these dumb footpath blocking machines and the BCC for its incredibly lax/nonexistent enforcement.
#brisbane #unwalkablebrisbane #cyclinginbrisbane #limescooters #neuronscooters
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/114/306/918/479/624/636/original/e88280fc9264decc.jpg
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2025-04-05 12:10:11 UTC

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this month at bushcare was largely cleanup after the rain. Some trees fell down and often onto other trees or plants, main goal is to try and save them. I think we hauled about 20-30kg of rubbish too. I find it really rewarding! By the way, your site is so good, loads of fun 😄 I mean, you can even unmaximise the windows!

2025-04-05 11:29:47 UTC

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sounds awesome. What are you working on? I just finished painting a ceiling, and volunteered at my local bushcare group. Super tired tonight, might fall asleep soon.

2025-03-31 06:29:38 UTC

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not surprising productivity is low. People invest in housing speculation (not necessarily building housing) rather than productive assets. The idea that encouraging housing debt/price growth spurs the wealth effect and spending is a fringe economic theory and unfortunately seemingly one that has been adopted for several decades.

2025-02-27 05:37:11 UTC

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not familiar with the newfangled tools but my high school used Moodle, an open source LMS created in Australia. No need for parents to accept any ToS on students' behalf. No idea if Moodle has all of the features offered by ClassDojo but it's a highly extensible platform and it wouldn't surprise me.

2025-02-26 11:25:00 UTC

Watching the two most recent videos from Jelbuilder on YouTube. It's wild how Brisbane's bike network varies from really great infrastructure, to mediocre and outright dangerous roads for cycling on. Learoyd Road is a big fat no for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0nq9WZvWdw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x4n2iasBE0
#jelbuilder #cyclinginbrisbane #brisbane

2025-01-29 19:49:03 UTC

My local creek is slowly taking back the concrete channel 🌳
#brisbane #normancreek
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/113/913/353/141/631/297/original/e5e1f32ccfda62d6.jpg

2025-01-25 07:41:36 UTC

Time for some Bunya nuts. Picked up this big boy from my local bushcare group.
#brisbane #bushtucker
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2024-12-11 12:09:26 UTC

I took an alternative route to the Bicentennial yesterday but it wasn't very good. One side of Victoria Bridge was closed. No photos on George Street as I was on the road with traffic.
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/113/634/101/814/959/907/original/ac009bc8643bba41.jpg
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/113/634/103/438/939/276/original/a3ed3d1dd0b8a13b.jpg

2024-12-11 12:04:46 UTC

#Brisbanetimes article on the temporary closure of the #Bicentennial bikeway
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/bike-riders-were-asked-to-dismount-for-100m-now-they-plan-to-protest-in-the-casino-s-driveway-20241205-p5kw3i.html

2024-12-05 09:34:27 UTC

#Bicentennial bikeway in #Brisbane was closed today at the Star Casino site with fences, gates and security personnel telling people to get off their bikes to pass through.
It's a temporary event, 4-11pm every day for a few weeks.
Nonetheless just recently it has become a regular occurrence where cyclists are being told to slow down, stop and dismount in the area for various reasons, like trucks, utes, workers and people attending events. This section of the bikeway is no longer a bikeway.
Really pleased to see people from #spaceforcyclingbne there encouraging people to put in complaints to Star, BCC and the state government.
I'm pretty riled up about this as it's a major regression, cutting access on a bikeway that has no real alternative. It should never have been sold off to Star in the first place.
#cyclinginbrisbane #cyclingbrisbane #starcasino
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/113/599/528/939/289/806/original/73f233f2bbb3a9a1.jpg

2024-12-02 12:12:24 UTC

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thanks to the admins! Appreciate all your work. I'd love a catchup, no strong feelings on where the extra money should go though. Merch and art would be cool.

2024-11-28 11:45:57 UTC

Fairfax/Nine RTI shows PFOA found in Seqwater treatment facility.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cancer-causing-forever-chemicals-found-in-brisbane-drinking-water-20241101-p5kn55.html
Unfortunately the military has used to fire fighting foam on many occasions around Greater Brisbane, mostly at Amberley. On at least one occasion the soil was improperly dumped at Ipswich and leached into the Bremer catchment. Not surprising that PFOA is now present in the water system but the resulting cover up is disgraceful.
#brisbane #pfoa #pfas #environment

2024-10-24 21:08:05 UTC

#sessionapp moves from Australia to Switzerland because of draconian anti-privacy laws. #eSafety legislation required all users to be identified.
https://www.innovationaus.com/draconian-laws-force-encrypted-messaging-app-offshore/
#privacy

2024-10-11 21:11:33 UTC

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that's interesting, I knew about certain programs were licensed but I wasn't sure what percentage that would be. Some ABC programs like Gardening Australia seem to be iView exclusive. The triple j podcasts are available for download as mp3s but only for a limited time.

2024-10-11 18:18:31 UTC

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public broadcasters (e.g. the ABC) should post magnet links to their podcasts, or if that's too hard, post them to https://archive.org with a donation. Also submit to YouTube, Spotify etc to please the masses, no exclusivity. I noticed the ABC deletes old episodes from their servers which really seems like a waste.

2024-10-06 08:21:51 UTC

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if I don't eat them all first 😂😋

2024-10-05 16:21:18 UTC

It's promising to see #Meta's surveillance capitalism business model being challenged in the EU. We urgently need progress in Australia too.
https://mastodon.social/@noybeu/113248366788070645
#auspol #privacy #facebook

2024-10-05 08:45:44 UTC

Day 1 in NL
https://assets.bne.social/media_attachments/files/113/253/929/159/873/785/original/8cf47c93626f3fe5.jpg
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2024-08-14 09:09:20 UTC

How do you pronounce #btrfs?

2024-08-06 12:28:14 UTC

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Thanks for being such awesome admins @npub1m0e…mqsy @npub1scp…6zy8! I'm glad you guys aren't out of pocket financially. Always appreciate your efforts on top of that too.