Graham Downs

South African Christian, husband, Software Developer, and author of the urban fantasy novella, Memoirs of a Guardian Angel.

Public Key

npub1q8hnju2crm5r4fu7ystcdfav2r8etmx45nsur4le5ljjmhwj5yzs9a5w8f

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsqrmeew9vpa6p6570zg9ux57k9pnu4an26fcwp6lu60efdmhf2zpgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dshn074l

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1q8hnju2crm5r4fu7ystcdfav2r8etmx45nsur4le5ljjmhwj5yzs9a5w8f

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Last Notes

2026-05-19 04:47:04 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. I hope you have an amazing day! :-)

2026-05-13 07:53:21 UTC

Just did the OfferZen AI Engineering Archetypes quiz 🧑‍💻Take the quiz here https://bit.ly/ai-archetypes-quiz?utm_source=MastodonAfrica #AI #SoftwareDevelopment

2026-04-30 06:33:03 UTC

So we all know what the English word "defenestrate" means, right? If you didn't, it's the act of throwing someone out of a window.
But South Africans, my dear South Africans, have you ever considered that the word sounds a little bit like the Afrikaans phrase, "die venster uit"?
I'm never going to unhear that now. Never. 🙈
#Afrikaans #words

2026-04-29 08:54:55 UTC

This is really cool: a free five-week program is designed to teach kids aged 9-16 everything they need to know about running a business, with a view to actually launching one when it's done.
https://gadget.co.za/9yearoldbusiness19w/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #business

2026-04-24 07:47:01 UTC

Discovery Bank (South Africa's biggest consumer bank) say that at least 43% of their clients now pay for a monthly chatbot subscription. And they're cancelling streaming services in favour of LLM subscriptions: https://techcentral.co.za/middle-class-south-africa-is-ditching-streaming-for-ai/280592/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #AI

2026-04-23 06:51:53 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz Oh, sorry, my mistake. It is his song. He recorded it in 1987, although didn't release it until 1992.
Cyndi Lauper released her version in 1989, which is why everyone thinks it's hers.

2026-04-23 06:45:31 UTC

Just Jinjer's "What He Means" is still one of my favourite songs of all time: https://open.spotify.com/track/5QSKMcESPmKFahGqbKAtq6?si=11db959ce753401d&utm_source=Mastodon
#music #love

2026-04-23 06:30:15 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz The original is actually Cindi Lauper: https://open.spotify.com/track/3J0AoQhAufniMrznCRJASD?si=7c027605da7e4b20&utm_source=Mastodon :-)

2026-04-23 06:24:33 UTC

Did you know that Roy Orbison did a cover of I Drove All Night?! :O
https://open.spotify.com/track/6U7QjXYOaLJ741cIWPBTyN?si=44c0024783834368&utm_source=Mastodon
#RoyOrbison #music

2026-04-21 04:36:24 UTC

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@nprofile…54d6 LOL Influenced by the news of Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO after 15 years? I just heard that on the radio as I woke up this morning, and I thought, "Wow, 15 years already!"
My next thought was, "Wow, Steve Jobs passed away 15 years ago already?!"

2026-04-18 06:54:00 UTC

Human or Not is super addictive. I just played 10 games and got a 60% win rate: https://humanornot.so/?utm_source=Mastodon
#AI

2026-04-17 05:34:13 UTC

It's pretty well known that we have a "National Opt-out Registry" in South Africa, for people to opt out of all direct marketing communication. It's also fairly well known that it doesn't work. :P
Well, a new law hopes to change that, by requiring all direct marketers to check their database *monthly* against that list, and remove any numbers they find there: https://techcentral.co.za/consumers-get-new-weapon-against-direct-marketing-spam/280306/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #spam

2026-04-16 06:53:40 UTC

In Johannesburg and like ebooks? A reminder that you can get a free membership to the City of Joburg elibrary. Visit the site at https://cojlibrary.overdrive.com/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica and look for the little banner that says "Sign up here" to be taken to the application form.
#SouthAfrica #libraries

2026-04-15 06:01:56 UTC

Draft2Digital announced an annual $12 maintenance fee, starting 30 days from now, and based on your anniversary date. Any authors whose total book sales through the platform total less than $100 over the preceding 12 months will be charged.
Well, according to recent surveys, that's probably 70%-80% of authors, at a minimum.
But of course since taking over Smashwords, D2D is now effectively the only indie ebook distributor, so they can do what they want. :(
There's still Lulu, which up to now has been primarily known for its print-on-demand services, but they also do ebooks. Maybe they're about to get a whole lot more popular?
What do you think, #WritingCommunity?

2026-04-15 04:51:56 UTC

I think Roelf Meyer is a fine choice for US ambassador... Or, he would've been 15 years ago.
Look, I don't want to sound ageist, and I'm very sure he's just as sharp as ever, and completely up to the task, but at 78, the man should be enjoying his retirement. I wouldn't imagine he needs the money, but when the president calls, it's hardly appropriate to say "Thanks, but no thank you".
But really. Let the man rest. He's done enough for our country. 🙄
#SouthAfrica #RoelfMeyer

2026-04-14 05:00:05 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 58 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-tues-14-apr-2026-/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-04-10 06:51:19 UTC

Today in 1912, the Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage. #trivia #OnThisDay

2026-04-03 19:01:51 UTC

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@nprofile…f6s8 yeah. I messed up on guess #3. Else it probably would've been. :)

2026-04-03 15:39:21 UTC

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@nprofile…kwuz and if there are UFOs which are still unexplainable, we will doubtless get to the point where we can explain them. Whereupon they will no longer be unexplainable.
It reminds me of the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis, which is admittedly allegory, but which also tells me that there is no reason to believe that what God did for us on this World, He did not do on others (there's no reason to believe He did either; we just don't know). :-)

2026-04-03 14:21:46 UTC

Wordle 1 749 5/6*
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#wordle #wordle1749

2026-04-02 15:34:05 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu Wow! Nice one! :-)

2026-04-02 07:01:08 UTC

Multichoice is offering Showmax subscribers the option of subscribing to Dstv Stream Compact for R99 per month: https://techcentral.co.za/r99-dstv-deal-to-keep-showmax-subscribers-from-bolting/279667/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
That's the same as they were paying for Showmax, and presumably all the Showmax Originals will be available on Dstv Stream Compact.
But the offer only lasts 12 months, after which it reverts to the standard pricing of R279. And you have to effectively sign a 12 month contract, because if you stop paying for even one month during that year, your price instantly reverts to R279.
I dunno, hey. As the article says, I think Multichoice is just delaying the retention problem to 2027.
Plus the regular price is R100 more than Netflix Standard in South Africa. Sure, you get sport, but whether that's enough to justify that extra cost is... well, it's subjective, isn't it? :)
#SouthAfrica #TV

2026-04-02 05:50:29 UTC

Wordle 1 748 X/6*
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#wordle #wordle1748

2026-04-02 04:54:12 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. Have a wonderful day! :-)

2026-04-02 04:53:58 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 28 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-thurs-2-apr-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-04-02 04:39:06 UTC

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@nprofile…707s Morning CD. I hope you have a wonderful day, and a blessed Easter. :-)

2026-04-02 04:38:02 UTC

At church on Sunday, during intercessory prayers, our minister prayed for "men, women, and others."
I've had ministers before who've prayed for "all people everywhere" or similar, so as to not have to deal with other genders, but this is the first time I've had a minister who's publicly acknowledged head-on that there are human beings who identify as a gender other than "man" or "woman".
My respect for her went up tenfold with that one phrase.
#church #gender

2026-04-01 10:59:24 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr LOL maybe that's what they spent the 20 minutes on. :-D

2026-04-01 09:02:20 UTC

The new Mario movie is out today: https://gadget.co.za/marioandluigi14w/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
I enjoyed the first one, but not enough to want to watch the second one in the cinema. I'll wait for streaming. :-)
#movies #VideoGames

2026-04-01 08:57:48 UTC

Today in 2004, Google launches Gmail. At the time, many thought it was an April Fool’s Day prank. #OnThisDay #email

2026-04-01 07:54:35 UTC

Here's a list of all the new stations the Gautrain is getting: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/motoring/635685-new-gautrain-routes-and-stations-with-link-to-important-airport-revealed.html?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #Gautrain

2026-04-01 07:48:45 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr Then I asked, "What about The Enchanted Grove?" and got this. It's... better, but still misses the point, although you can see that it cherry-picked things from existing reviews:
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Book Review: The Enchanted Grove by Stephen Hayes
If Of Wheels and Witches felt like a reflective, grounded narrative, The Enchanted Grove shifts decisively into classic adventure fiction—while still carrying Hayes’ distinctive moral and cultural awareness. As a sequel, it reunites the same trio of young protagonists for another holiday in rural South Africa, this time set against the lush, slightly ominous backdrop of the Drakensberg foothills.
The tone is immediately more energetic. Where the earlier book leaned toward memoir-like reflection, this one embraces a “Famous Five”-style structure: mystery, danger, and escalating stakes. The children encounter bullying teens dabbling in witchcraft, poachers, and a strange figure guarding ancient cave paintings, before stumbling into something even larger—a secret government project that suggests political undercurrents beneath the adventure.
What works particularly well here is pacing. Hayes weaves multiple threads—supernatural hints, real-world threats, and historical context—into a narrative that rarely feels static. The sense of place is vivid without being overbearing; the Drakensberg setting becomes almost a character in its own right, lending both beauty and tension to the story.
Thematically, the book continues to explore the intersection of belief systems. The “witchcraft” elements are more overt than in the first book, but they are balanced by a quiet, understated Christian perspective that never becomes preachy. Hayes seems less interested in presenting a simple good-versus-evil dichotomy and more in showing how different worldviews coexist—and sometimes clash—in the same space.
One noticeable improvement over the first book is dialogue. It feels more natural and less stilted, which helps the characters come across as genuinely young rather than merely written as such. The friendships between the three leads are believable and carry the emotional weight of the story.
That said, the book does carry a certain nostalgic distance. Set in the 1960s, its world—free-roaming children, slower communication, and a very different social atmosphere—may feel unfamiliar to modern younger readers. For some, this adds charm; for others, it may create a slight barrier to immersion.
Overall, The Enchanted Grove is a stronger, more confident novel than its predecessor. It successfully blends adventure, light supernatural elements, and historical context into an engaging story that feels both old-fashioned and quietly thoughtful. If Of Wheels and Witches laid the groundwork, this book builds on it with greater narrative momentum and a clearer sense of identity.

2026-04-01 07:44:10 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr Of course, it's total crap, but someone who hasn't read the book wouldn't know that. :D

2026-04-01 07:41:46 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr In fact, I just asked ChatGPT exactly that (Write a book review for "Of Wheels and Witches" by Stephen Hayes), and it spat out the following, pretty much instantly:
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Book Review: Of Wheels and Witches by Stephen Hayes
Stephen Hayes’ Of Wheels and Witches is a quietly compelling blend of memoir, travel narrative, and social observation set against the backdrop of southern Africa in the late 20th century. At its core, the book chronicles Hayes’ experiences working with disabled people in rural communities, where bicycles become both literal and symbolic vehicles of transformation.
What makes this book stand out is its tone. Hayes writes with a kind of understated humility that avoids the trap of centring himself as a saviour. Instead, he places emphasis on the individuals and communities he encounters, giving space to their dignity, resilience, and complexity. The “wheels” of the title refer not just to mobility aids like bicycles and wheelchairs, but to the broader idea of access—access to education, independence, and participation in society.
The “witches”, meanwhile, point to something darker: the persistence of superstition and stigma, particularly around disability. Hayes does not sensationalise these beliefs, but neither does he shy away from showing their real-world consequences. In doing so, he highlights the cultural tensions between traditional worldviews and modern approaches to health and inclusion, without reducing either to caricature.
One of the book’s strengths is its ability to weave together anecdote and insight. Hayes’ storytelling is simple but effective, often letting small moments carry larger meaning. A repaired bicycle, a difficult conversation, or a quiet act of kindness becomes emblematic of broader social change. His background in development work is evident, but he avoids jargon, making the book accessible to a wide audience.
If there is a limitation, it lies in the book’s reflective distance. Readers looking for a tightly structured narrative or dramatic arc may find it somewhat episodic. However, this structure also mirrors the nature of the work itself—incremental, unpredictable, and deeply human.
Overall, Of Wheels and Witches is a thoughtful and humane book that offers valuable insight into disability, culture, and development in Africa. It is particularly worth reading for those interested in grassroots social change, as well as anyone who appreciates travel writing with moral depth and sensitivity.

2026-04-01 07:35:02 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr Or they ask ChatGPT, "Write a book review for 'Of Wheels and Witches' [or whichever book they're talking about] by Stephen Hayes."
ChatGPT then does all the heavy lifting, by scraping the description of the book and any comments it can find about it, as well as free samples available on various sites, as well as existing reviews, and extrapolates from there. :/

2026-04-01 06:31:38 UTC

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@leoncowle Yeah, I can see that. In *this* case it was lucky, but I can understand all your points.
Here, the main "competition" happens inside the shops, which every petrol station has. Typically, pretty much everything is more expensive at the petrol station than it would be in a supermarket (you pay for the convenience, because they're open 24/7), but occasionally they run stupid promotions, because obviously, most people are going to fill up at the same time as they go to the shops. :-)

2026-04-01 05:56:44 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr I think it's an attempt at a "Long Con". They email you to tell you how much they loved your book, and would you like them to post a review on Goodreads (or they tell you they've already posted a review on Goodreads, as the case may be).
The hope, then, is probably that you don't notice that the review they posted is AI generated, perhaps because you don't read it, or you just skim it or you're too busy/distracted to really pay attention, as per standard phishing practices. So you reply thanking them and telling them how awesome they are and how much you appreciate them....
And then at some point, they say, "You know, if you want even MORE visibility for your book, we can arrange that, and it will only cost you $x for our premium marketing service."
To which you say, "Well, that's reasonable. Okay, sure. Take my money."
And they've conned you out of your hard-earned cash.

2026-04-01 05:52:57 UTC

Wordle 1 747 6/6*
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#wordle #wordle1747

2026-04-01 05:52:40 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu We're very lucky that the petrol price at the pump is regulated here, meaning we've been protected from high petrol prices for the whole of March (As opposed to Diesel, whose *wholesale* price is regulated, but the filling stations can still charge what they like at the pump).
We were expecting a much higher increase from April, but the government decided at the 11th hour last night that they would drop the fuel levy by R3 per litre for the month of April, to shield us. But of course, now all the other political parties are jumping in to say that, while they appreciate that, they don't know how we're going to absorb that cost because we can't afford any more taxes. So it's a case of "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." :/

2026-04-01 05:00:09 UTC

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Note: This is *not* an April Fools' Day joke.

2026-04-01 04:59:26 UTC

In case you missed it, here are the fuel prices in South Africa (inland) from today:
- 93 Petrol: R23.25 (from R20.19 yesterday)
- 95 Petrol: R23.36 (from R20.30 yesterday)
- Diesel 0.05% (wholesale): R25.90 (from R18.53 yesterday)
- Diesel 0.005% (wholesale): R26.11 (from R18.60 yesterday)
- Illuminating Paraffin: R28.14 (from R12.54 yesterday)
- LPGAS (per kg): R36.05 (from R34.97 yesterday)
#SouthAfrica #FuelPrice

2026-04-01 04:52:23 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. Have yourself a wonderful day! :-)

2026-04-01 04:52:07 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 1 minute and 49 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-wed-1-apr-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-31 09:51:21 UTC

If AI ends up defaming someone -- either accidentally due to hallucinations, or deliberately in the case of deepfakes and such -- who's to blame? https://gadget.co.za/whenaidefames95t/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica #AI #defamation

2026-03-31 05:16:44 UTC

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Heh. My second and third guesses are actually synonyms. :-)

2026-03-31 05:02:43 UTC

Wordle 1 746 3/6*
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2026-03-31 05:00:33 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 53 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-tues-31-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-31 04:44:59 UTC

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@nprofile…707s Morning, CD. I hope you have an amazing day! :-)

2026-03-31 04:44:46 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr The scary thing is that, now with AI Agents being a thing, it's entirely possible there's no human involved in that process at all. The AI agent writes you the email, responds to your replies and carries on the entire conversation, and posts the review on Goodreads. No human needed at all.
And as someone said on another writing group, this is unfortunately making us all very cynical. Every time I get an email praising my books or offering to interview me or pitching a blog tour or anything at all, my first thought now has to be that this is an AI scam. :-(

2026-03-31 04:43:18 UTC

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@nprofile…vgxr @nprofile…vgxr The scary thing is that, now with AI Agents being a thing, it's entirely possible there's no human involved in that process at all. The AI agent writes you the email, responds to your replies and carries on the entire conversation, and posts the review on Goodreads. No human needed at all.
And as someone said on another writing group, this is unfortunately making us all very cynical. Every time I get an email praising my books or offering to interview me or pitching a blog tour or anything at all, my first thought now has to be that this is an AI scam. :-(

2026-03-30 07:31:35 UTC

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@nprofile…wka2 In the US, companies are their own thing. Nintendo is Nintendo, and Nintendo exists regardless of the people involved.
In the UK, companies are plural because they are considered to be the sum of all the people involved. Nintendo are the owner and all employees collectively working together towards a common goal.
Kind of like the difference between "coworker" and "colleague" that we discussed some time ago. :-)

2026-03-30 05:56:45 UTC

Wordle 1 745 5/6*
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2026-03-30 05:50:59 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 1 minute and 58 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-mon-30-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-30 04:59:28 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. I hope you have an amazing day! :-)

2026-03-29 11:38:07 UTC

A jury has found that Instagram and YouTube are deliberately designed to addict people (children in particular), drawing parallels between the Big Tobacco cases of the past: https://techcentral.co.za/big-techs-big-tobacco-moment-has-arrived/279530/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SocialMedia #addiction

2026-03-29 10:00:30 UTC

Wordle 1 744 4/6*
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#wordle #wordle1744

2026-03-29 06:10:55 UTC

🌴☀️⛪ #PalmSunday

2026-03-27 14:37:29 UTC

When my Star Realms opponent has enough combat to finish me off, but they start buying stuff (and we're not playing with Events, Heroes, or Tech), I get irritated and concede, robbing them of their massive damage and seeing my authority drop to -50 or something. Does that make me a bad person? ;-) #StarRealms #VideoGames

2026-03-27 13:38:00 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Not a Fediverse service, but if you're looking for free email in general that's not Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, et. al., then Proton Mail comes to mind. They've even got a Mastodon account: @nprofile…850x

2026-03-27 10:11:10 UTC

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@nprofile…easl ROFLMAO
I used it to mean something like, "Just kidding!"
Turns out many people interpret it to mean sarcasm. Which, in certain contexts can be VERY offensive. :/

2026-03-27 10:08:48 UTC

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@nprofile…easl I was recently advised by someone to stop using the wink emoji, because it doesn't mean what I think it means, and it can come across as really offensive. I, too, used to use it far too much.
The wry smile sounds like a good substitute. Perhaps I should try it. :-)

2026-03-27 06:17:14 UTC

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@nprofile…707s Morning, CD. Have an amazing day, and an awesome weekend! :)

2026-03-27 06:04:00 UTC

In other trivia, I had heard this before, but I'd forgotten: it's illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland. If I remember correctly, it's because they're highly social animals and it's considered cruel to isolate them. #trivia

2026-03-27 06:02:59 UTC

So America, we need to talk. Apparently, 7% of you literally believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.... 🙈 #trivia

2026-03-27 05:52:28 UTC

Wordle 1 742 4/6*
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2026-03-27 05:07:04 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 3 minutes and 13 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-fri-27-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-27 04:52:57 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu :)

2026-03-27 04:51:56 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning Gavin. Have a wonderful day. and an awesome weekend! :)

2026-03-26 09:36:53 UTC

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@nprofile…6aac No, it's the Economic Freedom Fighters.
I knew of Julius Malema's EFF before I'd ever heard of the other one, so that's unfortunately the way it will always be. :P
It's like WWF. I know the wrestling company had to change to WWE to avoid conflicts with the World Wildlife Fund, but in my mind anyway, the damage was done. I will think of wrestling every time I hear WWF until my dying day....

2026-03-26 07:54:29 UTC

Wow. Life is Strange: the story is finished. After ten years, five main instalments, and loads of spinoffs and DLCs: https://gadget.co.za/lifeisstrange354t/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#VideoGames #LifeIsStrange

2026-03-26 07:02:39 UTC

Meta has been found guilty of enabling child exploitation: https://techcentral.co.za/jury-finds-meta-enabled-child-exploitation/279429/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#Meta #ChildSafety

2026-03-26 05:58:15 UTC

Wordle 1 741 4/6*
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#wordle #wordle1741

2026-03-26 05:51:14 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 57 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-thurs-26-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-25 15:47:58 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu :-D

2026-03-25 10:00:13 UTC

We finished Sherlock last night on Netflix. It's been on our list for a while, but we got notified at the beginning of the month that it's disappearing on Monday (30 March), so we decided we'd better get off our asses.
My word, what a rush! Highly recommended if you're a fan of modern interpretations of Sherlock Holmes, and you think you can manage four seasons of three-to-four 90-minute episodes each before Monday. :-)
#SherlockHolmes #TV

2026-03-25 08:52:21 UTC

Today in 1836, Samuel Colt obtains a patent for his famous revolver. #OnThisDay

2026-03-25 08:39:25 UTC

Fruit-free Hot Cross Buns are not Hot Cross Buns. They're basically just slightly sweet rolls. #food

2026-03-25 07:57:27 UTC

The government is no longer prepared to bail out the post office. :(
https://techcentral.co.za/the-post-office-is-out-of-options/279400/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#PostOffice #SouthAfrica

2026-03-25 06:55:54 UTC

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@nprofile…p65c Suit yourself. :)

2026-03-25 06:50:05 UTC

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@nprofile…p65c LOL Is that no, you can't, without even trying, or no, you tried and couldn't? :)

2026-03-25 06:31:15 UTC

With the fuel price increases and shortages, I suppose working from home will also become a thing again. Since people won't be able to afford to get to work. :/ #FuelPrice #WFH

2026-03-25 06:00:27 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. Have a wonderful hump day! :-)

2026-03-25 05:58:39 UTC

Wordle 1 740 5/6*
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#wordle #wordle1740

2026-03-25 05:56:58 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 58 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-wed-25-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica

2026-03-24 07:00:49 UTC

#puns #DrSeuss #maths
https://cdn.mastodon.africa/media_attachments/files/116/282/853/184/627/078/original/73b3b30de7d70fcf.png

2026-03-24 05:00:58 UTC

Wordle 1 739 4/6*
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#wordle #wordle1739

2026-03-24 04:57:44 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 49 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-tues-24-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-24 04:43:48 UTC

@nprofile…jvsu Are you okay? I see monoceros has been down for some time now (every time my trends bot tries to access it), but I'm hoping that's either due to some security thing you've put in place, OR that it's coming up periodically, enough for you to check messages.... :)

2026-03-24 04:41:48 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 Morning, Gavin. Have an awesome day! :-)

2026-03-23 05:52:37 UTC

Wordle 1 738 6/6*
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#wordle #wordle1738

2026-03-23 05:45:40 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu Yeah, same. I thought I was just missing it, but your experience confirms that it's not there. :-)
We did another such quiz the other week, which just said, "You aced it!" but does that mean 15/15, 14/15, 13/15....?

2026-03-23 05:28:39 UTC

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for human beings."
-- Colossians 3:23 GNBDC <https://www.bible.com/bible/416/COL.3.GNBDC?utm_source=Mastodon>
#quotes #bible

2026-03-22 09:46:12 UTC

Interesting quiz asking how much you know about Jesus. I aced it, but I did have to stop and think about a couple of the questions. :)
https://www.playbuzz.com/michaelrogers11/only-5-of-people-can-ace-this-impossible-jesus-test?utm_source=Mastodon
#quiz #JesusChrist

2026-03-22 08:56:21 UTC

Wordle 1 737 4/6*
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#wordle #wordle1737

2026-03-21 12:50:32 UTC

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@nprofile…wka2 yeah. And most people (like me) only found out about Mastodon around 2022. Strange to think it had been around for so long already by that time. Long before Musk had even thought of buying Twitter. :-)

2026-03-21 10:46:49 UTC

On this day in 2006, Jack Dorsey sent the first message on the social-media network Twitter. #OnThisDay #SocialMedia

2026-03-21 10:27:18 UTC

Wordle 1 736 4/6*
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#worlde #wordle1736

2026-03-20 07:50:06 UTC

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@nprofile…k08e Amazing! Nice one. :-)

2026-03-20 06:58:09 UTC

"The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man."
-- B. F. Skinner #quotes #AI

2026-03-20 06:34:59 UTC

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@nprofile…rx5g Yeah, I'm in the *good* hemisphere. ;-)