Nostr notes by Stuart Longland (VK4MSL)

We should start calling him Pauper Sadim* (* Midas spelt ...

2026-07-07T06:18:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…w5jk
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We should start calling him Pauper Sadim*

(* Midas spelt backwards.)

The word "Mac" does not appear anywhere in your post.

2026-05-26T23:09:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…asy4
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The word "Mac" does not appear anywhere in your post.

Protip for the ABC… white text on light grey background is ...

2026-05-21T23:21:59Z

Protip for the ABC… white text on light grey background is really hard to read.

White text on white background is impossible to read.

I've been around the Internet and I can't find another news article like it.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-22/ghost-communities-of-robinvale-where-people-dont-exist-in-census/106572538

How on earth do they email someone who's not using Office365? ...

2026-05-14T21:37:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…juls
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How on earth do they email someone who's not using Office365?

Pretty sure Postfix doesn't support MAPI, nor does Gmail.

…and it's a `file:///` link. You might as well say it's ...

2026-05-03T21:43:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…mpu3
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…and it's a `file:///` link.

You might as well say it's a print-out kept on your dressing table.

I can't see a `mobile` directory below `/var`.

2026-05-03T21:17:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…dycm
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I can't see a `mobile` directory below `/var`.

File not found.

2026-05-03T21:06:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…rv7r
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File not found.

Odd thing this afternoon… get up the stairs, dump my bags on ...

2026-04-29T08:27:06Z

Odd thing this afternoon… get up the stairs, dump my bags on the table, cast aside the mask and earmuffs… looking around I notice a benchtop supply sitting on top of the fridge is off.

Odd, don't recall turning that off… the radio attached to it yes, but not the supply itself. There was a PocketBeagle SBC and a Kantronics KPC3 TNC running off it.

Sharing the power point is the aforementioned fridge. Overhead lights work.

Hmm, do we have a black-out? I turn the lights on above the rangehood, this is on a separate circuit (GP2) directly coupled to mains. Nope, GP2 is fine, we have lights there. GP1 and lights are on back-up power, but GP2 is raw mains.

I reach over and try another under-cupboard light, one sharing the circuit (GP1) with the fridge. Nope, dead as a doornail.

Something on GP1 upset the breaker… not quite sure what. Judging from the load traces, sometime around 16:10. The only things turned on there (on GP1) were the server rack, a few small things in the study, the fridge, and the bench PSU, and a small LiFePO₄ charger.

The good news is the fridge was only off for an hour or two.

Re-ran the build… and `portage` in its wisdom decided to ...

2026-04-29T08:20:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…wxhu
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Re-ran the build… and `portage` in its wisdom decided to re-install all the packages from pre-built binaries, *including* `bison` before retrying `iproute2`.

Of course in doing that, it overwrote my fixed `bison` for a broken one in the binary packages… and `iproute2`'s build blew up again with a segfault.

Well, pretty sure it's `bison` … small chance it's `make` but `make` seems to work fine for other packages, so I'm going with `bison` being the culprit.

So re-build `bison`, *manually* build `iproute2` before it has a chance to break `bison` again… then re-try the build, and we should finally see the finish this week-end.

No idea why tonight… but 21:03… and I'm wide awake for no ...

2026-04-28T11:03:49Z

No idea why tonight… but 21:03… and I'm wide awake for no reason whatsoever.

It sucks because I need to be on a bus at 06:40 tomorrow. Ugh.

Cue Yothu Yindi — Treaty (the original one not the Filthy Lucre ...

2026-04-28T07:12:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…4kv6
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Cue Yothu Yindi — Treaty (the original one not the Filthy Lucre mix)

After one cousin presenting to emergency with gut pains 3 times ...

2026-04-28T03:06:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…td3r
_________________________

After one cousin presenting to emergency with gut pains 3 times that was "dismissed" as a stomach ache… except that third visit where it was identified correctly as appendicitis (about to burst!!!)… not sure overworked emergency physicians are a big improvement.

That said, a hospital has accountability, a chatbot doesn't. So still the better bet to go to ER than faff about with a computer.

Ahh, the joys of bitrot… Brisbane WICEN has a competitor ...

2026-04-27T08:31:12Z

Ahh, the joys of bitrot… Brisbane WICEN has a competitor tracking project that uses RFID readers hooked to AX.25 radio stations to track competitors on a horse ride.

Started back in 2018… and has seen steady improvements since then… but then there was a period in 2023 where all the packet stuff just got left to sit.

Consequence: PocketBeagle SBCs still running Debian 11.
Lost config on my Raspberry Pi 3+ w/ UDRC-II.
Stuff that doesn't play nice with Python 3.13/3.14.

The RPi3 of mine was still running Debian 12, a little newer… but updating that took ages (extracting the SD card for re-flashing is a pain in the arse).

I think today I got back to the point where the project works the way it did back in 2023… but doing so on current libraries, and updated to Debian 13 as the OS.

Spent much of the day re-building stuff then listening to the squawk of Bell-203 modulation as APRS messages got fired between two radios in the kitchen on UHF (439.075MHz). But… I think I got somewhere!

Nearly at the home run of the proper stage 3 tarball. Of course ...

2026-04-27T02:51:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…jcpl
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Nearly at the home run of the proper stage 3 tarball.

Of course the build of `iproute2` got blown up by a miscompiled `bison` (`bison` segfaulted processing one of `iproute2`'s source files): I really need to figure out how to get Portage to use `-O2` not `-Os` for that one. Everything else runs fine with `-Os`, and I do want to optimise for size as these machines have at most 256MB RAM to work with.

Heavy as flipping lead though.

2026-04-27T00:04:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…qzvw
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Heavy as flipping lead though.

My father used to work for Telecom Australia, and he'd bring ...

2026-04-26T23:36:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…f7rh
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My father used to work for Telecom Australia, and he'd bring home a "laptop".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_T3100

Can't recall exactly what model they had… but it was one of the 286 variants, apparently had an 80287 math co-processor as well.

Yeah, "weaponise the penis" sounds like something out of ...

2026-04-26T06:08:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…rusq
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Yeah, "weaponise the penis" sounds like something out of a Skyhooks show.

Give it a few weeks… if nothing is done, then draw a penis on ...

2026-04-26T05:49:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…ljx6
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Give it a few weeks… if nothing is done, then draw a penis on it and it'll be fixed overnight.

The way one rolled away, one could be forgiven for thinking ...

2026-04-25T23:05:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…2zc5
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The way one rolled away, one could be forgiven for thinking you're losing your marbles.

I'd imagine the Italian→English translation would be: ...

2026-04-25T22:53:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…0qep
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I'd imagine the Italian→English translation would be: "get these infernal things off my ears!"

Looks like it's a "borrowed" word, which would be ...

2026-04-25T09:16:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…5psu
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Looks like it's a "borrowed" word, which would be written in the katakana character set.

I could be wrong though… because it's been 30 years since I looked at that.

I wanted an A4 laser that did duplexing and worked with Linux. ...

2026-04-25T06:36:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…td3k
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I wanted an A4 laser that did duplexing and worked with Linux.

Settled on the Kyocera P5021cdn. Ethernet, colour, duplexing, Postscript level 3. The gotcha being the cartridges are expensive, but it works out to about AU$0.20 a page… so not terrible.

I've had it working in both Windows 10 and CUPS on Linux pretty easily … in fact the latter it just works.

Back around 2001 or so… I was doing some industrial experience ...

2026-04-25T06:30:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…0w4d
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Back around 2001 or so… I was doing some industrial experience with Australian Computer Traders at Bowen Hills.

At the time they were selling Lexmark inkjets for AU$50.
The printer cartridges they took sold for AU$80.

Sleepy Don.

2026-04-25T06:28:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…6f34
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Sleepy Don.

No proprietary software tied to hardware IDs?

2026-04-25T02:13:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…r4vd
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No proprietary software tied to hardware IDs?

I thought those words would be: "hop it"

2026-04-24T22:38:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…6nth
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I thought those words would be: "hop it"

If he did that, his nostrils would be facing forward like a ...

2026-04-24T22:30:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…3guz
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If he did that, his nostrils would be facing forward like a pig's snout instead of down.

Might actually be more appropriate.

That'd be a bloody mess…

2026-04-24T21:25:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…5rqy
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That'd be a bloody mess…

RE: https://vk4msl.com/2017/02/02/a-nursery-rhyme-for-2017/ I ...

2026-04-24T21:14:30Z

RE: https://vk4msl.com/2017/02/02/a-nursery-rhyme-for-2017/

I think I was a decade ahead on this one. #USPol

quoting
note1wx9…lwj4

Humpty Dumpty built a great wall…Off of which he'll have a great fall…All the world's leaders and all the world's men…will not want him together again!https://vk4msl.com/2017/02/02/a-nursery-rhyme-for-2017/

#donaldTrump #humour #nurseryRhyme #politics

Depends on your local laws, but last time I heard this tried, it ...

2026-04-24T15:25:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…m5tc
_________________________

Depends on your local laws, but last time I heard this tried, it was in the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aereo

Ultimately the company doing it was taken to court and lost.

Silly question, I sometimes have to use my phone in places where ...

2026-04-24T15:11:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…j9k4
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Silly question, I sometimes have to use my phone in places where the 4G signal is weak (Telstra disabled 3G a couple of years ago and 2G over a decade ago). Last example I can think of was outside Kilkivan: using a built-in antenna phone calls were barely possible and Internet was slow.

However, my present phone is a ZTE T86, it has an external antenna jack on the back of the phone. With a special cable (in this case, one of these: https://www.telcoantennas.com.au/patch-lead-for-telstra-tough-max-3-zte-t86), I can plug in an external 4G antenna that I can put up high, and at this location I was able to use my phone as normal, with an Internet connection faster than what I get at home.

The only other manufacturer I've seen this on was the iSquareMobility Kite (it let you plug in a u.FL to SMA, and since it was a 3D printed case, you could integrate that easily into the design). I can't seem to raise iSquareMobility now.

Some day that T86 will die. Telstra don't make a successor.

Is it possible to get a version of the SHIFTphone that has an equivalent connector (accessible from outside the phone)?

I keep thinking the spelling should be "Chornobyl" which ...

2026-04-24T08:33:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…lcna
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I keep thinking the spelling should be "Chornobyl" which is present-day Ukrainian spelling… but "Chernobyl" is how it was spelt at the time the incident occurred (as part of the USSR)… so yeah, hard to know which is correct.

Apparently present-day reactor designs are far less prone to the issues that affected the examples mentioned here… but I still would be leery about their use given the long lead time needed to get them up and running. Especially as other methods (*cough* renewables & storage) are actually proving to be very much viable.

Hang on, isn't `cd` a shell-builtin, in other words it's ...

2026-04-24T07:04:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…qjjy
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Hang on, isn't `cd` a shell-builtin, in other words it's not possible for `sudo` to run it because there's no `cd` binary in ${PATH}.

And that makes sense because a subshell can't change its parent's working directory without some application-specific trickery.

Well… a bust. I get there on the bus, get into the shop. ...

2026-04-24T06:10:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…lsfq
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Well… a bust. I get there on the bus, get into the shop. Doctors' orders are I'm supposed to be on skim milk.

No fresh skim milk, no UHT skim either.

Walked out with a 2L bottle of low-fat… not happy.

I pumped up the tyres on the bike and jumped on it today… ...

2026-04-24T04:28:49Z

I pumped up the tyres on the bike and jumped on it today… mission: a small grocery shop to pick up some milk and other essentials.

Walked up one of the small hills (I'm quite out of shape!), rode the rest of the way… get there, go park under the Aldi. Crap, where's the chain, in the top box? No. In the pannier bag? No. Bugger.

Jump back on the bike and rode home. Said chain is beside my bed, exactly where I left it last. I'm now catching my breath before I grab a rain cape and go catch the bus up there.

#CarFree #ForgetfulMe

RE: https://meow.social/@Bwee/116455196008015310 21 boosts? Try ...

2026-04-24T02:59:14Z

RE: https://meow.social/@Bwee/116455196008015310

21 boosts? Try 118 by my count…

quoting
note1td5…ugj4

you better not

Edited after 21 boosts:
Everyone who boosts this is STIMKY!!!

Same thing will happen here in Australia.

2026-04-24T02:35:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…5zft
_________________________

Same thing will happen here in Australia.

I have a set of Bluetooth earmuffs that I've lately been ...

2026-04-24T00:50:46Z

I have a set of Bluetooth earmuffs that I've lately been using with the mask whilst on public transport… the earmuffs were cheaper off-brand things I bought off eBay. Work well, but they're a headband format, and only pair with a single device.

Bluetooth is also a pain in the arse to use with a computer: as it's either one-way stereo (A2DP) or two-way mono (HSP). Modern ones use mSBC codec so you don't sound like you're using a 1990's mobile phone, but it's still 16kHz sample rate and mono… and you've got that rather fiddly mode switch. Even transparently handled, you still can't use the microphone and have your receive audio in stereo.

Headband format also is a nuisance if you are wearing a hard hat. I can make it work, but it's not the best.

This got me thinking… a set in the form factor I'd prefer can be had for $50. I'd rather not drill holes to feed cables through, but if I can fit a decent speaker, amp, battery, and an inductive pick-up in the ear-cup, I can pass whatever audio I want through that pick-up. Use some strong magnets for placement, and the seal is retained. They'd probably work for PA announcements for hearing aides too since it's fundamentally the same technology.

Maybe even charging with a >30kHz signal alongside the audio, and the battery can be charged while being worn.

Outside the earcup, I can have whatever electronics I need. Microphones to pick up ambient noises, a feed from a Bluetooth module, analogue audio from a computer via cables. It just needs the outside transducer to align with the one inside the earcup.

I'll have to dig up some ferrite coils and have a go.

#Electronics #Earmuffs #MagneticCoupling

Not the only one whose sole is screwed…

2026-04-24T00:00:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…kd5s
_________________________

Not the only one whose sole is screwed…

Is that how you get flat feet?

2026-04-24T00:00:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…4gzx
_________________________

Is that how you get flat feet?

They call these things "light poles"… but it was still ...

2026-04-23T23:08:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…lqr4
_________________________

They call these things "light poles"… but it was still heavy enough they needed a crane to get it on its mount.

Ohh, and I got the holes the wrong way around: the one nearest the gutter was in fact, the hole for the big block of concrete and about 6 wheelbarrow loads of gravel to go into.

At long last… we get a new LED street light to replace the dud ...

2026-04-23T22:11:45Z

At long last… we get a new LED street light to replace the dud fluorescent one that died nearly a year ago.

That's because the kettles today are too lazy to whistle when ...

2026-04-23T21:35:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…23aj
_________________________

That's because the kettles today are too lazy to whistle when they are boiling.

Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1378/

2026-04-23T20:35:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…78fq
_________________________

Obligatory XKCD:

https://xkcd.com/1378/

, @npub18nh…5h6l is a big Coldplay fan. :-P

2026-04-23T09:57:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…u2w4
_________________________

, AaronDavid (npub18nh…5h6l) is a big Coldplay fan. :-P

I agree… $1M, if you put that into a term deposit at say ~5%pa ...

2026-04-23T09:52:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…s7yy
_________________________

I agree… $1M, if you put that into a term deposit at say ~5%pa (my local bank is offering 5.1%pa right now) over 12 months… assuming my maths is correct… You can expect about $50k in interest accrued in that time.

Equivalent to about $4k/month, or about 8× that $500. So you take the $50k, and re-invest the $1M principle… in 12 months you'll have another $40~60k depending on the interest rate. Keep repeating for as long as you need.

$500/month interest would be equivalent to a 0.6%pa interest rate. You can do a lot better!

Ohh… and a fun one. On the morning run I got off at the usual ...

2026-04-23T08:59:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…fc3d
_________________________

Ohh… and a fun one. On the morning run I got off at the usual place… crossed over Given Terrace to come through the front gate at Lang Park.

Unbeknown to me, there's a film crew there. Woman standing ready to do some sort of prepared speech in front of the camera with the stadium as a backdrop. Possibly a sports piece relating to the NRL, there's a football game there tomorrow night.

This was around 07:00.

No idea if it was live or recorded, they seemingly hadn't started yet. By the time I had seen them I couldn't be bothered doing a U-turn and going a different route, I just made my way quickly behind.

The only clue would be this heavily laden figure in a full-face elastomeric mask making his way quickly out of shot.

Hyperlinking to http://localhost/? Yeah that'll work. About ...

2026-04-23T08:24:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…w59s
_________________________

Hyperlinking to http://localhost/? Yeah that'll work.

About on par with the people who hyperlink file:// links on the fediverse.

Day 3… I technically finish work at ~15:00 because I already ...

2026-04-23T07:53:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…h675
_________________________

Day 3… I technically finish work at ~15:00 because I already had two long days. I've hit a brick wall (Bitbucket Pipelines) and while I could continue smashing that out, I did promise to get home before the sun sets.

Looked up the timetable… ohh goodie … the _first_ 382 isn't until nearly 17:00.

Oookay… well I'm not going to work longer and get engrossed in my work. I've already done 24 hours of a 22¾ hour week.

I headded off around 16:15… get to the stop at 16:50. E-paper timetable says there'll be a 382 in a little over 10 minutes. Perfect.

I've gotten home basically as the sun was dipping below the horizon… still plenty of light to see where I was going. Not as early as I would like, but as early as I'm going to get without a lot of walking.

I think I'll need an alarm set for the next week… 16:00 = wrap-up and pack-up!

Surely the 404 is never found…?

2026-04-23T07:43:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…c9nn
_________________________

Surely the 404 is never found…?

There was a big blow-up regarding Hyprland and CachyOS if I ...

2026-04-23T07:10:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…5sv4
_________________________

There was a big blow-up regarding Hyprland and CachyOS if I recall correctly.

Hardware does look nice, nearly bought one but I was after CoreBoot support.

Pity Framework are run by fascist sympathisers.

2026-04-23T07:06:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…44cz
_________________________

Pity Framework are run by fascist sympathisers.

Spam by APRS… that's new!

2026-04-23T05:39:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…szpk
_________________________

Spam by APRS… that's new!

Audacious is longer… it starts with a whole astronomical unit.

2026-04-22T20:23:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…35aw
_________________________

Audacious is longer… it starts with a whole astronomical unit.

Day 2… I think I did better. I sort-of had an own-goal by ...

2026-04-22T09:54:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…s8jr
_________________________

Day 2… I think I did better.

I sort-of had an own-goal by leaving the office late… it was after 17:00 when I got out the door and about 17:50 by the time I was at the bus stop… but I managed to get the 382 this time… and was home by 18:30.

I had intended to be home a lot sooner but at least I didn't have a ridiculously long walk or a change of busses.

What makes him think he had "social permission" in the ...

2026-04-22T09:32:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…hyjz
_________________________

What makes him think he had "social permission" in the first place?

RE: https://mastodon.social/@p_calleri/116431319276721876 ...

2026-04-22T01:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…s2r0
_________________________

RE: https://mastodon.social/@p_calleri/116431319276721876

transborg (npub1gl8…vktr) Seems like that globally…

quoting
note1hww…7cjz

Behinderten- und Jugendhilfe

#cartoon #karikatur

Might be career limiting unless you wanted a job in the US ...

2026-04-22T01:50:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…r2fr
_________________________

Might be career limiting unless you wanted a job in the US congress?

Maybe it's an "inclusive" ballroom where they dance ...

2026-04-22T01:48:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…5gd7
_________________________

Maybe it's an "inclusive" ballroom where they dance in wheelchairs?

Hmmm… nah, sounds too "woke" for someone like Trump.

I think I can spare some nails…

2026-04-21T20:17:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…qcwn
_________________________

I think I can spare some nails…

And dragging a kilometre is easier than dragging a mile.

2026-04-21T19:49:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ufut
_________________________

And dragging a kilometre is easier than dragging a mile.

From my observations, "safe" links generally only exist ...

2026-04-21T11:06:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…0h7h
_________________________

From my observations, "safe" links generally only exist to expose the user.

https://vk4msl.com/2022/08/11/html-email-ought-to-be-considered-harmful-auda-shows-us-why/

So how many Gpps* does your Internet link run at? (Guinea pigs ...

2026-04-21T10:42:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…upcp
_________________________

So how many Gpps* does your Internet link run at?

(Guinea pigs per second.)

…and a spray in the crotch? I'm guessing that was WD40… ...

2026-04-21T10:34:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…zhhf
_________________________

…and a spray in the crotch?

I'm guessing that was WD40… I'm going with that…

Good luck

2026-04-21T10:29:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…v5lq
_________________________

Good luck

Well, it was supposed to arrive at 18:03… I was there around ...

2026-04-21T10:02:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…0d7j
_________________________

Well, it was supposed to arrive at 18:03… I was there around 17:50 and yeah, no sign of it. So unless one passed just before I got off the 61, looks like there hadn't been one for some time.

As for where I got dropped off by it… I don't recall being passed by a second one even though the LED sign at Ashgrove indicated there'd be another close behind.

The paper sign bore no resemblance to the real-world timetable being run tonight. Never a good situation.

This week I'm car free… my father's over touring ...

2026-04-21T09:20:24Z

This week I'm car free… my father's over touring south-NZ while I hold the fort here.

One thing I'm learning… while I have my inbound trip more-or-less down pat, the outbound trip needs work. Today I left home about 06:30… wandered up to the stop in Kaloma Road and caught the 382… that dropped me off near Lang Park, and I walked from there to Park Road, Milton where my work is.

Easy.

This evening, I tried to do the reverse… got to the stop: it was going to be 20~30 minutes until the 382 coming home. I hate standing around waiting for public transport. So plenty of time to walk up to the next stop surely…? I'll bet it stops a bit further up the road.

Narrator: it doesn't stop anywhere else on Given Terrace. The point just near Caxton street is the only place.

Suffice to say, ended up walking to the base of the hill at Bardon… waited for the 61 and got that to Ashgrove. Then I wandered to the rendezvous point for the 380. By this time it was nearly 18:00.

There was *supposed* to be a 380 at 18:03… that time came and went with no sign of it. It was 18:19 before I was on that 380.

Bloody exhausted… but a little wiser I think.

#PublicTransport #CarFree

You imperial unit enthusiasts are just dragging your feet!

2026-04-21T09:08:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…22cz
_________________________

You imperial unit enthusiasts are just dragging your feet!

Paying someone to cook them and renting a space for the cooker ...

2026-04-20T20:16:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…erhj
_________________________

Paying someone to cook them and renting a space for the cooker and the staff costs money.

So while there are economies of scale, there are overheads too.

…and I thought the 13W3 was a strange beast.

2026-04-20T10:40:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…5awd
_________________________

…and I thought the 13W3 was a strange beast.

Had a second hiccup, it couldn't find ...

2026-04-20T10:37:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…cu4v
_________________________

Had a second hiccup, it couldn't find `armv5tejl-softfloat-linux-musleabi-ar`… I'm thinking, hang on, didn't the last rebuild fix that?

I run `gcc -dumpmachine`, and sure enough, it reports the old CHOST, `arm-unknown-linux-musleabi`. I had inadvertently started the build with the same `seed` tarball that I had done the previous build with.

I just symlinked everything before realising… probably explains a lot. So we'll clean up and try again. `emerge --sync` then make a new snapshot, to be absolutely sure we've got the latest stuff.

…one can dream

2026-04-20T09:14:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…6ul0
_________________________

…one can dream

Yes, a condenser mic works on a similar principle, but as I ...

2026-04-20T07:42:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…j2yl
_________________________

Yes, a condenser mic works on a similar principle, but as I understand it, an electret element generates its own static charge for the capacitor plates.

This schematic more-or-less depicts my understanding of ...

2026-04-20T07:17:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…adxc
_________________________

This schematic more-or-less depicts my understanding of what's going on inside an electret capsule.

Inside the capsule there's a JFET amplifier. So the electret ...

2026-04-20T06:51:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…3vqn
_________________________

Inside the capsule there's a JFET amplifier. So the electret microphone itself basically connects to JFET gate and source, and the outside world connects to source and drain.

So while it doesn't "draw" current, it needs a bias current for the MOSFET to modulate the audio.

The end result… I'll try it out tomorrow. I gave it a test ...

2026-04-20T06:30:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…3y6t
_________________________

The end result… I'll try it out tomorrow.

I gave it a test connecting to the laptop via Bluetooth, and via pipewire, redirected the sound from the bluetooth microphone back to the headset, and apart from a delay, it sounded fine. A lot better than a microphone would sound *external* to the mask anyway.

The ST2 doesn't seem to care about having the Bluetooth headset in parallel. I guess they're both supplying bias current to the electret in the mask. The earmuffs themselves have microphones for picking up ambient noises, so not a danger for crossing the street.

I did that bit of surgery… adding a 3.5mm socket to the ...

2026-04-20T06:10:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…0879
_________________________

I did that bit of surgery… adding a 3.5mm socket to the amplifier/speaker end, and a 3.5mm plug to the mask end.

I also added a 3.5mm TRRS plug, which connects to a pair of Bluetooth earmuffs… allowing me to use the microphone that's in the mask with the Bluetooth headset. In doing that, I discovered the amplifier has developed an intermittent fault with the cable, so I've had to open it up and for now, I've just "shortened" the cable by pulling the partially damaged section into the case. Hopefully there it'll avoid flexing and will work reliably.

Otherwise I've got to splice a new cable in… in which case I'm thinking 3.5mm jack on the top of the speaker unit, then run a standard 3.5mm stereo extension lead to where the mask is.

Thank-you crappy Jaycar 3.5mm TRS plug for breaking off your tip ...

2026-04-20T05:06:46Z

Thank-you crappy Jaycar 3.5mm TRS plug for breaking off your tip and embedding it deep inside a sealed TRRS line socket where it's neigh on impossible to retrieve.

Parts are in hand… and I'm now on the Ferny Grove train ...

2026-04-20T02:00:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…8tf9
_________________________

Parts are in hand… and I'm now on the Ferny Grove train headed back to Michelton.

Then they shouldn't offer it on their site.

2026-04-19T08:39:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…ugjx
_________________________

Then they shouldn't offer it on their site.

And it answers "twotwo"? :-)

2026-04-19T07:42:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…3qxp
_________________________

And it answers "twotwo"? :-)

Groom of the stool used to be actually a very high position in ...

2026-04-19T06:40:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…dx8t
_________________________

Groom of the stool used to be actually a very high position in the court around the time of King Henry VIII…

Looks like Nigel Farage, far-right UK politician.

2026-04-19T06:39:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…s94j
_________________________

Looks like Nigel Farage, far-right UK politician.

Bloody payment gateways… this afternoon I wanted to order some ...

2026-04-19T06:24:06Z

Bloody payment gateways… this afternoon I wanted to order some bits for work for Tuesday.

Some of this included some 2.54mm KK-style connectors for a test rig I'm building. I note I used 9-way connectors on the board but such beasts aren't common, and ordering these through RS/Element14 et all is a pain because they sell the contacts and housings separate. Given the time-sensitive nature, I figured I'd get Jaycar to deliver.

No problem, go on their site, pick out what I need… wound up with a collection of bits that would do what I was after. Checkout, entered my work's address (fun and games because it's on the second level of a building). Get to payment.

The usual fields are there, I dig the card out and start punching them in. Check they're right… hit Continue. "Payment declined".

Oi?! I didn't decline it! I wasn't even asked!

I try again… "payment declined" again.

What's going on… log in to the Internet banking site, there's just shy of $3k there. More than enough for the order concerned. No there have not been any payments on the card today, although Jaycar's attempt is shown (as paid then immediately refunded).

Try dropping a few less-critical items off and trying again… no dice. It still fails.

Right, is the card blocked? Let's try a donation. Punch in the card details and a $20 one-off amount … success. So it's not the card.

I think I'll just go there and do it in person. It'll be less trouble.

Access point looks to be well and truly sealed off.

2026-04-18T23:26:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…gyru
_________________________

Access point looks to be well and truly sealed off.

Sadly the ISA bus will be the bottleneck.

2026-04-18T22:50:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…s7sr
_________________________

Sadly the ISA bus will be the bottleneck.

A 386DX/33 with 40MB RAM goes pretty well from my experience. ...

2026-04-18T22:20:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…lz2w
_________________________

A 386DX/33 with 40MB RAM goes pretty well from my experience.

Can't imagine one with a 120GB SSD though… I think the SSD will be faster than the DRAM.

Do not stare at beam with remaining eye.

2026-04-18T10:14:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…sz2l
_________________________

Do not stare at beam with remaining eye.

Right in King George Square no less… that stone building with ...

2026-04-18T08:43:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…8p5c
_________________________

Right in King George Square no less… that stone building with the clock is City Hall.

Admittedly this is some distance from where Queensland Parliament resides… the best they can do in practice is Old Parliament House near the botanical gardens… but still pretty hard for dear premier David Crisafulli to ignore.

I thought the UI frames were full of crap lately.

2026-04-18T08:39:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…92p2
_________________________

I thought the UI frames were full of crap lately.

Like racing the Tour de France on a motorcycle.

2026-04-18T06:13:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…t0ff
_________________________

Like racing the Tour de France on a motorcycle.

Well, he had to be a Rebel Rebel…

2026-04-17T22:10:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…4hl6
_________________________

Well, he had to be a Rebel Rebel…

Well… that's Fashion…

2026-04-17T22:03:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…r9n4
_________________________

Well… that's Fashion…

…and he can't use voice commands on the laptop because it ...

2026-04-17T21:53:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…trnz
_________________________

…and he can't use voice commands on the laptop because it won't understand him talking with a cigar in his mouth.

Is that the Jean Genie?

2026-04-17T21:48:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…k5t9
_________________________

Is that the Jean Genie?

Enduring 31 months of Y2K hysteria before it finally flipped over ...

2026-04-17T21:42:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…245j
_________________________

Enduring 31 months of Y2K hysteria before it finally flipped over was agony!

One criticism I'll make of that video: small white text on ...

2026-04-17T20:25:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…tvj6
_________________________

One criticism I'll make of that video: small white text on grey is hard to read, and you're not given very long to read it.

Strange situation this afternoon… I had to duck up to West ...

2026-04-17T09:59:49Z

Strange situation this afternoon… I had to duck up to West Ashgrove… and I was on a time schedule because I had left it a bit late in the afternoon. I needed to be home by 6PM… and it was already approaching 4…

So walking there was out, and there was a little smokiness in the air. I haven't been riding in a while, so didn't think jumping on the bike was a good idea but it was a tempting prospect. The bus won out.

Donned my mask, wandered up to the bus stop. Sitting there, someone in a van pulls up and the passenger beckons me over. Not quite sure what they were about, I stated I was waiting for a bus.

They were curious about the mask and wondered if it was for COVID-19. I said yes, but also smoke (which was my bigger concern). They then went on a brief rant about there being too much technology, blamed the vaccines for causing it, then stated "I'm with you, brother", before the pair drove off.

Yeah… don't think you are actually. There are reasons for opposing 5G LTE, but COVID-19 is not one of them. Clearly a conspiracy theorist.

#COVID19 #SmokePrevention #StillMasking (on public transport)

RE: https://mastodon.social/@a2_4am/116410563154525427 Milo ...

2026-04-17T05:52:53Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@a2_4am/116410563154525427

Milo showing us how it's done…

quoting
note1avv…wr0v

RE: https://mastodon.social/@a2_4am/116394543502882937

Update: he ate the replacement cone of shame

#DogsOfMastodon

note1gfn…j63r

I think I'll add this little file to my config: ``` ...

2026-04-17T04:30:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…nqg9
_________________________

I think I'll add this little file to my config:

```
aarch64-gentoo-dev /var/tmp/catalyst/config/releng # cat releases/portage/stages/package.use/releng/elfutils
dev-libs/elfutils -debuginfod
```