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Posts from 2021
2021-01-01 : 🐶 Photo post:
The consummate NYE guest, and the cat who was very unhappy to see him back again after a six month absence 😾 2021-01-03 : 🎮 Micro post:
Considering I’m notoriously bad at platformers and I died on the tutorial like 10 times, I feel proud that on my … 2021-01-03 : 📚 Book review:
The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nadifa Mohamed (★★★½)2021-01-04 : 🖥 Micro post:
Found out that The StoryGraph has undergone a revamp (and officially launched) and got a lot of new useful features! I … 2021-01-04 : 🐱 Photo post:
Here’s one of Viv’s and my friends in the neighbourhood. His name is Timmka and he often waits in his front … 2021-01-05 : 🐱 Photo post:
This accursed cat decided to stay out very late last night – something she never really does. We went out calling and … 2021-01-05 : 🐱 Photo post:
Trying to avoid a repeat of last night’s antics, I brought Gidget in at 7:30 seeing as I knew where she was then. … 2021-01-06 : 🎮 Micro post:
Yesterday I discovered this amazing free(mium) browser game, AI Dungeon. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a … 2021-01-07 : 📰 Stray Thoughts on the Storming of the US Capitol :
It seemed like it would be remiss of me to post today without mentioning the day’s biggest news: the storming of … 2021-01-08 : 🗒 Micro post:
When people say they’re “useless until I’ve had my morning coffee”, they’re referring to … 2021-01-08 : 🖥 Experimenting with Gemini :
Gemini is a relatively new internet protocol, aiming to offer a much lighter-weight, text-oriented experience than the … 2021-01-09 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
Since Melbourne’s first lockdown I’ve been growing out my hair (not just because hairdressers were closed, I’d also been … 2021-01-10 : 🖥 Tracking My Reading :
One of my major hobbies is reading. I was a fanatical reader as a kid, and while I’ve definitely gone through … 2021-01-11 : 🏏 Micro post:
Interesting article here by Usman Khawaja on the hostility of Australian cricket to aspiring players from immigrant … 2021-01-11 : 💬 Micro post:
A linguistic pet peeve of mine: people saying “all X are not Y” when what they mean is “not all X are … 2021-01-11 : 📚 Book review:
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang (★★★)2021-01-12 : 🐱 Micro post:
So, Gidget loves hot weather. Give her a heatwave and she has the time of her life, snoozing outside in temperatures of … 2021-01-13 : 🐱 On Gidget Not Wanting to See Guests :
Gidget is an indoor-outdoor cat, but we (try to) keep her in between dusk and dawn (which is even the local bylaw, … 2021-01-14 : 🐶 Photo post:
I realised I’ve been slacking on the photo posts lately, so here’s Gizmo a couple of weekends ago. It was … 2021-01-14 : 🖥 Owning My Content :
One of the reasons I started this blog is that I’d come across the concept of the IndieWeb and really liked it. I … 2021-01-14 : 📚 Book review:
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (★★★★)2021-01-16 : 🐶 Photo post:
We paid a visit to this little guy (and his humans) yesterday. Although he was excited when we got there, he later … 2021-01-16 : 💻 Site update:
It’s actually ridiculous how much time I’ve put into this, but after posting the other day about wanting to … 2021-01-17 : 🗒 Micro post:
For anyone curious about COL in different cities – I found this neat tool that compares it in selected cities around the … 2021-01-18 : 🐶 Photo post:
The dog beach was the place to be yesterday! Beautiful weather, and many many dogs. Gizmo certainly enjoyed himself 🐶 2021-01-19 : 🏏 Micro post:
Sometimes I almost wonder why they even have reviews of LBW decisions… the bar to overturn a decision is ludicrously … 2021-01-19 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget likes to shepherd us humans off to bed when it gets to 10 or 11, then watches us like a hawk to make sure we go … 2021-01-20 : 📚 Book review:
Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly (★★★★)2021-01-20 : 📛 Political Labels on the Left :
If I ever asked you to describe your politics, the exact word you’d label those politics with is a lot less … 2021-01-21 : 🍺 Photo post:
It was a warm day today, so Viv and I took a late afternoon walk to our local beach.
On our way home, we ducked into a … 2021-01-23 : 🍃 Photo post:
Today Viv and I drove out to the Dandenong Ranges on Wurundjeri land to do the Eastern Sherbrooke Forest Walk. We went a … 2021-01-25 : 🇦🇺 Micro post:
Tomorrow (26 January) is a public holiday in Australia, marking the day white colonists arrived at what’s now … 2021-01-26 : 🐱 Photo post:
When the cool change came through yesterday, my heat-loving cat was not impressed. She was immediately demanding that I … 2021-01-28 : 💬 Dabbling in Language-Learning :
In recent times, I’ve been tossing up whether I should try to learn some basic German. The thing that’s … 2021-01-29 : 🐱 Photo post:
Fun fact: while Gidget loves arid heat, she ALSO loves heavy rain. She likes to sit under cover and just watch it fall. … 2021-01-29 : 📰 Micro post:
Here’s an important article on how the Left must get ready to deal with deplatforming by Big Tech. It’s all … 2021-01-29 : 🎮 Micro post:
So here’s a neat online game: The Royal Game of Ur is a FOSS implementation of a game first played in the ancient … 2021-01-30 : 📚 Micro post:
A couple of days ago I read Vylar Kaftan’s short story, The Weight of the Sunrise (read it for free on the … 2021-01-31 : 🥥 Recipe:
Lemongrass and Coconut Soup :
A sweet, sour and spicy soup drawing on Thai-style flavours, packed with fish, fresh vegetables and rice noodles. 2021-01-31 : 🫑 Recipe:
Chicken Jambalaya :
A delicious smoky and slightly spicy dish inspired by the flavours of Louisiana. 2021-01-31 : 🍗 Recipe:
Chicken Stew :
Made in a pressure cooker, this is a traditional rustic stew full of poultry and veggie goodness. Pears, herbs and a … 2021-01-31 : 🍱 Photo post:
Just sharing a photo of the chicken tacos I made the other night, cos they came out very photogenic 😅 (and delicious! 😋) … 2021-01-31 : 🌶 Recipe:
Chilli Con Carne :
A delicious, hearty stew of minced meat, tomatoes and peppers. Served here with rice. 2021-02-01 : 🍃 Photo post:
I’m not sure how I’ll do, but I thought it’d be fun to participate in Micro.blog’s Feb 2021 … 2021-02-01 : 🍝 Recipe:
Spaghetti Bolognese :
My spin on this famed Italian classic. 2021-02-01 : 🍛 Recipe:
Japanese-Style Stir Fry :
Packed full of sweet and salty flavours, this finely balanced East Asian-inspired dish is as quick to prepare as it is … 2021-02-01 : 🐱 Photo post:
A neighbour’s cat, Ben, came to the front window to ask whether Gidget was home. I had to tell him she … 2021-02-02 : ☕️ Photo post:
Day 2 of the photoblogging challenge! Today’s prompt is morning beverage. Last year I bought these neat insulated … 2021-02-02 : 💻 Improving Load Times by Fixing My Images :
As I mentioned in my post about Gemini, mine is a lightweight website for the most part; it’s built with a static … 2021-02-03 : 🐱 Photo post:
Day 3 of Micro.blog’s photoblogging challenge! Today’s prompt is comfort. For this, I thought I’d … 2021-02-03 : 📰 Online Anonymity is a Right, Not a Privilege :
Here’s a great TechDirt article on the importance of online anonymity. As it points out, the only people claiming … 2021-02-04 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
Day 4’s prompt is layers, which I found a tricky one 🤔 Melburnians are known for our prodigious wearing of layers … 2021-02-05 : 🐱 Photo post:
Day 5 of the photoblogging challenge has the easiest prompt… pets! 🤣 For this one, have an old photo of my cat Gidget … 2021-02-05 : 💬 Mental Models of Languages :
So as we know, children acquire their native language by being exposed to lots and lots of input in that language, … 2021-02-06 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
For today’s photoblogging challenge, the day 6 prompt is sport. Viv and I go for different AFL teams, and nearly … 2021-02-06 : 📚 Micro post:
It’s been so long since I’ve actually read a whole book at this point, I think because I started one I’m not really … 2021-02-07 : 🍱 Photo post:
As I’ve mentioned before I no longer eat mammal meat, which is mostly easy peasy but just occasionally I get the … 2021-02-08 : 💻 My first blog entry on Hugo :
Hello world! For a little while now I’ve been working on adding a blog to my Hugo-generated static site, and I … 2021-02-08 : 🏝 Photo post:
It’s day 8 of Micro.blog’s photoblogging challenge, which means today’s prompt is hope. My hope is … 2021-02-09 : 🐶 Photo post:
For day 9 of Micro.blog’s photoblogging challenge, the prompt is muddy. It’s not currently a muddy time of … 2021-02-09 : 💻 Site update:
It’s been a busy day of barely doing anything but website work, but I’m making good progress getting the … 2021-02-10 : 🐱 Photo post:
Oh, to have the energy of a kitten who’s just realised she’s made a terrible mistake 😂 For today, I thought … 2021-02-11 : 📚 Micro post:
Next month it’s my dad’s birthday, and given his strong interest in mathematics and the fact he’s been … 2021-02-11 : 📰 Micro post:
So Melbourne had like two local Covid-19 transmissions yesterday meaning that obviously South Australia felt obliged to … 2021-02-11 : 🖥 Photo post:
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time peering at this machine, setting my blog up how I want it. MacBook Airs … 2021-02-12 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
My face when I saw that today’s #mbfeb challenge prompt is sporg… 2021-02-12 : 📰 Micro post:
Apparently all signs are pointing to a lockdown being about to be declared because we had 13 new Covid-19 cases in the … 2021-02-12 : 🐱 Photo post:
My neighbour’s cat, Gracie, has made herself a lovely bed out of a flowerpot 😸 2021-02-12 : 📰 Victoria Back in Lockdown :
After 13 new Covid cases in the last week, all associated with a specific hotel and a family quarantined there (the … 2021-02-13 : 📰 A (Largely Political) Linkpost :
In the near future, I’d like to have templates in place on my blog, so I can post proper bookmarks (and replies … 2021-02-13 : 💬 Replied to:
“My war on doomscrolling” by Toby Kurien 2021-02-13 : 🍱 Photo post:
Tonight I decided to make gnocchi with chicken sausages in a butternut squash sauce 😋 If you’re interested in … 2021-02-14 : 🖥 Micro post:
Opened up Firefox today and it’s reset my entire profile 😒 Can’t wait to reinstall all my extensions, reset … 2021-02-14 : ❤️ Liked:
“Sex-Positivity Means Unlearning Shame” by Tim Smith 2021-02-14 : 💻 Site update:
So I think I’ve now got interactions set up and displaying properly!
I’m relying on webmention.app to … 2021-02-14 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget says, “Mum… tell those mice to have some compassion and come out to be eaten!” 😼 #mbfeb 2021-02-14 : ❤️ Liked:
“Obi looking extra cute during his Saturday afternoon nap” by Tim Smith 2021-02-14 : ❤️ Liked:
“Do Adults Really Not Remember School Sucked?” by Ian Welsh 2021-02-14 : 📚 Book review:
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers (★★★★★)2021-02-14 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Fury at ‘do not resuscitate’ notices given to Covid patients with learning disabilities” 2021-02-15 : 🐝 Photo post:
This week in “Yikes!"… we have a wasp infestation affecting our flat 😳 A few days ago (just before the … 2021-02-15 : ❤️ Liked:
“Senator Jordon Steele-John shares his personal story of growing up disabled in Australia” 2021-02-15 : 🐱 Photo post:
Today I have another photo from when Gidget was a kitten. She’s always found comfort hiding behind the couch, and … 2021-02-16 : 🐝 Micro post:
After quite a process, the wasps should be about to meet their doom – the wasp control people have said they’ll be … 2021-02-16 : 🖥 You Already Don't Need Google Search :
Even though a compromise seems to be emerging, Australian media is still abuzz with the possibility (or threat) that … 2021-02-16 : 💷 Micro post:
Random fact: the reason an Australian dollar has long been worth approx. half a British pound is decimalisation. In both … 2021-02-16 : 💬 Replied to:
“Let's Imagine a Better World” by Tim Smith 2021-02-16 : 🐱 Photo post:
Ever the erudite cat, this one was transfixed by the quoll documentary that was on the other night. At least, I’m … 2021-02-17 : 🍃 Photo post:
Today Victoria is still in lockdown, although the good news is that’ll end at midnight tonight, on schedule. … 2021-02-17 : ❤️ Liked:
“Massive Texas gas failure during climate extremes gets blamed on wind power” by Ketan Joshi 2021-02-17 : 📚 Micro post:
Yesterday I started reading N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, and apparently I had such an expression on my face … 2021-02-17 : 🍱 Photo post:
Inspired by this blog post yesterday, I had a go of my own making cheese buldak (aka Korean fire chicken). I believe the … 2021-02-18 : 📰 Micro post:
Wow, they’ve gone and done it. While Google has tried to reach a compromise with commercial news outlets, Facebook … 2021-02-18 : 📰 On the AusGov vs Google/FB Stoush :
So, the House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring Google and Facebook to pay money to certain media outlets … 2021-02-18 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Government Just Got Rid Of The Family Court With The Help Of One Nation & Crossbenchers” 2021-02-18 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“A new online safety bill could allow censorship of anyone who engages with sexual content on the internet” by Zahra Zsuzsanna Stardust 2021-02-18 : 📷 Photo post:
For day 18 of Micro.blog’s photoblogging challenge, the prompt is “at home”. A recent development from … 2021-02-19 : 📚 Book review:
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (★★★★★)2021-02-19 : 🍃 Photo post:
A few years ago, my grandma came and helped me plant some things in the flowerbed at the front of my flat. Some of them … 2021-02-19 : 🐱 Photo post:
So it’s 28°C outside and this cat is begging me to turn the heater on… 🤨 2021-02-20 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Judas and the Black Messiah Actually Does Fred Hampton Justice” 2021-02-20 : 🏏 Micro post:
🏏 The ABC has published an article wondering if the death of test cricket is nigh. Honestly, I would’ve thought … 2021-02-20 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Former Collingwood player Leon Davis: 'We don't want our kids to have to go through the bullshit'” by Amy McQuire 2021-02-20 : 📷 Photo post:
After a few hot days (and nights) in a row, the cool change came earlier than expected this afternoon, resulting in … 2021-02-21 : ❤️ Liked:
“42 admissions” by Ben Werdmüller 2021-02-21 : 🖥 How I Integrated Webmentions Into My Hugo Static Site :
Since I moved my blog over to Hugo, I’ve been wanting to do a little series of posts about various aspects of my … 2021-02-21 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Griddy customers face $5,000 electric bills for 5 freezing days in Texas” 2021-02-21 : 🍱 Photo post:
Why does food look more appealing when it’s colourful? Is it some kind of evolutionary adaption because in nature, … 2021-02-22 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“It’s the anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination.…” by Hari Kunzru 2021-02-22 : 🐱 Photo post:
🐈 For today’s #mbfeb challenge post, I thought I’d share another photo of Gidget during the spell of hot … 2021-02-22 : ❤️ Liked:
“Life Happens: Towards Community Support For Prioritizing Life Events And Mutual Care, Starting With The #IndieWeb” by Tantek Çelik 2021-02-22 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Teachers and Their Unions Are Demanding Truly Safe Schools Reopening — Not “Ignoring Science”” 2021-02-22 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Workers Should Take Back Control of Their Pension Funds” 2021-02-22 : 🐶 Photo post:
Yesterday we got to bring Gizmo to the beach for the first time in a few weeks! Gizmo was loving it, charging around … 2021-02-23 : 🍌 Photo post:
Today’s #mbfeb prompt is banana, so I’m sharing my favourite way to eat banana: mashed into baked oatmeal! … 2021-02-24 : 📰 Micro post:
For anyone out there who was following the saga: the Australian government has indeed backed down in its stoush with … 2021-02-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Fake Debate Over a Minimum Wage” 2021-02-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Queensland's Public Trustee accused of profiting off people who lack capacity to manage own affairs” 2021-02-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Britain’s Government Has Decided No One Should Police the Police” 2021-02-24 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget’s now five and a half, but the tidying I did yesterday uncovered a purple hair tie that she used to play … 2021-02-24 : 🖨 Micro post:
One thing I did not expect when Viv and I went to pick up our new printer from Officeworks was the guy working at … 2021-02-24 : ❤️ Liked:
“WhatsApp and the domestication of users” by Rohan Kumar 2021-02-25 : ❤️ Liked:
“Ask a policy expert: why is it so hard to get on the disability support pension?” 2021-02-25 : 💬 Micro post:
My honest opinion that I absolutely will not stand by if challenged by someone with coercive power over me is that … 2021-02-25 : ❤️ Liked:
“Economics professor Ross Garnaut says Australia voluntarily keeps hundreds of thousands unemployed” 2021-02-25 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“‘Destruction by a thousand cuts’: the relentless threat mining poses to the Pilbara cultural landscape” 2021-02-25 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Sky News Australia is tapping into the global conspiracy set – and it’s paying off” 2021-02-25 : 🖥 Photo post:
Today’s #mbfeb prompt is “code”, so I took a photo of where I do my coding 😜 It doesn’t seem to … 2021-02-25 : 📚 Book review:
Break the Dark by Cheryl Lawson (★★)2021-02-26 : 🖥 The Online Firehose :
FYI: This post is a rewritten and expanded version of this post that I published on Dreamwidth two years ago.
I’ve … 2021-02-26 : 🐶 Photo post:
Some of my favourite recent photos that I haven’t already posted are these: Gizmo munching on his dentastick! … 2021-02-27 : 🎬 Promising Young Woman at the Astor :
Last night Viv and I went to the Astor to see Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan (actually it was a … 2021-02-27 : ❤️ Liked:
“The trouble with boys: what lies behind the flood of teenage sexual assault stories?” 2021-02-27 : ❤️ Liked:
“Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast” by Caspar Wrede 2021-02-27 : 🐱 Photo post:
Today’s #mbfeb prompt is “pompasetting”, which apparently is a Caribbean word meaning “showing … 2021-02-27 : ❤️ Liked:
“How Korea Became a Forgotten War” 2021-02-27 : 👩🏻🏫 On Teacher Workloads :
Just read this article on teacher workloads, and I had some things to say about it. While it’s painfully accurate … 2021-02-28 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Denmark’s “Zero Asylum” Plan Means Psychological Torture for Refugees” 2021-02-28 : 💬 Replied to:
“On writing in public” by Ben Werdmüller 2021-02-28 : 🥑 Photo post:
The other day when I was walking along the driveway, I looked up and noticed these avocados growing in the tree outside … 2021-02-28 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Myanmar's spring revolution” 2021-02-28 : 🚗 Micro post:
Just read this article, proposing the closed Holden factory in Adelaide be repurposed to build electric vehicles, … 2021-02-28 : 🖨 Photo post:
Not a moment too soon, our new printer has been set up! We opted to buy a Brother one, because their Mac/Linux support … 2021-03-01 : 🐱 Photo post:
🐈 My parents and sister paid me their usual Sunday visit yesterday, and for once, Gidget came out and accepted pets from … 2021-03-01 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“To expand women's prisons is idiotic and inhumane. We should phase them out” by Sonia Sodha 2021-03-01 : ❤️ Liked:
“Education Should Be About Building Democratic Citizens, Not Compliant Workers” 2021-03-01 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Finland Had a Patent-Free COVID-19 Vaccine Nine Months Ago — But Still Went With Big Pharma” 2021-03-01 : ❤️ Liked:
“Roughly 3,000 Words on Yes Minister Pilot Edits” by John Hoare 2021-03-01 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The invention of ‘heterosexuality’” by Brandon Ambrosino 2021-03-01 : 🐱 Photo post:
The #mbfeb challenge continues for an extra few days! Here’s a selfie I took with the one I keep calling the light … 2021-03-02 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Utopian Promise of Self-Checkout Machines” 2021-03-02 : ❤️ Liked:
“Ten years since the great Arab revolutions” 2021-03-02 : 🐱 Photo post:
A demolition is taking place nearby, loud enough to completely dominate the ambient noise here for three business days. … 2021-03-02 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Anti-Colonial Revolt Was Key to Lenin’s Vision of Revolution” 2021-03-02 : 📰 Micro post:
Ahh, can you tell WA is holding an election in 11 days? Their premier is now talking about keeping up border controls … 2021-03-02 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The road to electric is filled with tiny cars” 2021-03-02 : 📚 Book review:
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton (★½)2021-03-03 : 📰 Micro post:
So a Rio Tinto chairman and a board director are to resign after the company willfully destroyed 46,000-year-old … 2021-03-03 : 🍾 Photo post:
Last night we went to my parents' place to celebrate a big occasion with them: their thirtieth wedding anniversary! 🥳 A … 2021-03-03 : 💬 Micro post:
Have you ever wondered where the English word “net” came from, and how it expanded to uses in … 2021-03-04 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Placing the Proud Boys on Canada’s Terrorism List Is a Threat to the Left” 2021-03-05 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
So for the first time in maybe six weeks, I cracked open Scrivener and made some great progress rewriting my novel 😅 … 2021-03-05 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The JNF is no innocent charity” 2021-03-05 : 📺 Micro post:
Sometimes I feel like the only millennial who hasn’t just mainlined every episode of The Simpsons. I mean, sure … 2021-03-05 : ❤️ Liked:
“Liberals Should Stop Trying to Save the GOP. Republicans Don’t Want to Be Saved.” 2021-03-05 : 🐶 Photo post:
My folks and sister are going away for the long weekend, so they’ve dropped Gizmo off to have his own little … 2021-03-06 : 🐶 Photo post:
Gizmo has seemed a bit subdued today, especially after Gidget hissed at him when he just wanted to play (twice), but he … 2021-03-06 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“HERE IS THE ARTICLE YOU CAN SEND TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAY “BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH CRYPTOART WILL BE SOLVED SOON, RIGHT?”” by everest pipkin 2021-03-06 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Why jobseeker is stuck 'in the early 90s' and leaving Australians behind” 2021-03-07 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Cracks emerged in digital contact tracing system days before five-day lockdown” 2021-03-07 : 📚 Book review:
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (★★★)2021-03-07 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gizmo has met the third cat in his life who didn’t immediately hate him! Timmka here was full of curiosity, … 2021-03-09 : ❤️ Liked:
“The Fight for Free Time Is a Feminist Issue” 2021-03-10 : 🗒 Micro post:
I’ve been posting a lot less the last few days, and honestly I’ve just been so tired. I had a single day of … 2021-03-11 : 📰 On Women's Work Under Capitalism :
The thing that’s prompted me to write this post is the interesting Jacobin article, Second-Wave Feminism’s … 2021-03-11 : ❤️ Liked:
“What matters” by Ben Werdmüller 2021-03-11 : 🚀 Micro post:
Here’s a neat article on the predictions science fiction makes about technology. I remember once reading an … 2021-03-11 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Why I built LibreLingo” by Daniel Kantor 2021-03-11 : 🌶 Micro post:
In honour of a batch of dhal I made tonight and accidentally made spicier than I intended (but still just within my … 2021-03-12 : 📚 Book review:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (★★)2021-03-12 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“SDA Facts - Retail and Fast Food Workers Union” 2021-03-12 : 🇦🇺 Micro post:
So it’s 9:45 on a Friday night… my partner gets a call from an unknown number… it’s a recording urging him … 2021-03-13 : 📰 Micro post:
It is truly awful that a town can have a homelessness crisis while 30% of properties there lie vacant most of the time, … 2021-03-13 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget is loving her $350 new box! The printer that came in it was just a little freebie for the humans; we all know the … 2021-03-13 : 📚 Book review:
La pasión según Carmela by Marcos Aguinis (★★★★)2021-03-13 : ❤️ Liked:
“The children of gods: how power works in Australia” 2021-03-13 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“LeftValues Results” 2021-03-14 : 🧙🏻♀️ Micro post:
For any other Harry Potter fans, I thought I’d share the best Hogwarts Sorting Hat quiz that I’ve ever … 2021-03-15 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“How Facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation” 2021-03-15 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Phyllis Papps and Francesca Curtis came out on national TV in 1970. Their actions changed Australia forever” 2021-03-16 : 💬 Micro post:
I came across this interesting video on YouTube, WIKITONGUES: Jack speaking Ladino. If you’re not familiar with … 2021-03-16 : ❤️ Liked:
“If Australia’s Unions Don’t Organize Unemployed Workers, They’re Digging Their Own Graves” 2021-03-17 : 🖥 Linux on M1 Macs :
So, when the first M1 Macs were released last year they were quickly recognised as some seriously impressive computers, … 2021-03-18 : 🐱 Photo post:
It’s turning out to be a busy week with lots of work, which is good in one way ($$$) but is keeping me away from … 2021-03-18 : 📚 Book review:
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin (★★★★)2021-03-20 : 🗒 Micro post:
It’s Saturday at last (and my dad’s birthday, in fact – we’re going over later to celebrate with him) … 2021-03-20 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Basics: Access, or the Wall Around Your Life” by Jarrett Walker 2021-03-21 : 🐶 Photo post:
Got to catch up with this little guy last night. While Gizmo was excited to see us, he was also very concerned about the … 2021-03-21 : 🖥 Micro post:
Today I found out that if you use the “Responsive Design” mode in your web browser’s developer tools, … 2021-03-22 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Myth of the Barter Economy” 2021-03-22 : 🦠 Why I'm Anxious to Get My Covid Vaccine :
Here in Australia we’re very behind the target our own government set for vaccinating the whole population, so I … 2021-03-22 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Australian-born children the government wants to deport because they have a disability” 2021-03-23 : 🇫🇷 Micro post:
Thinking back to my 12-year-old self today, and how I didn’t understand why we needed to spend like 10 weeks in a … 2021-03-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Australian politics should be as diverse as its people” 2021-03-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Amazon is a disaster for workers. Nomadland glosses over that” 2021-03-24 : 💻 Site update:
Years ago I used to be active on Q&A site Quora. These days I can’t really be bothered with it (especially … 2021-03-24 : 💬 Why aren't words pronounced the way they're spelt? :
Some time ago on Q&A website Quora, I answered a question about why English words aren’t pronounced the way … 2021-03-24 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The rising threat of eco-fascism: Far right co-opting environmentalism to justify anti-immigration and anti-Semitic views” 2021-03-25 : 🏝 Photo post:
Here we’re only at the very tail end of the weather system that’s brought floods to the eastern seaboard, … 2021-03-26 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget was very unimpressed to see me packing my things to head out this morning… very much like, “What do you … 2021-03-27 : 🗒 Micro post:
Reading up on the Melbourne Comedy Festival’s COVID-Safe plan because Viv, Emma and I are going to see a show … 2021-03-27 : 🩲 Period Panties :
If you, like me, are cursed with a monthly cycle, you might well have heard of period panties. The principle behind them … 2021-03-27 : 🚋 Micro post:
I kinda thought trams had to stop at the CBD stops but the one we were trying to catch sailed right on through without … 2021-03-28 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
Viv and I really enjoyed seeing “For a Good Time Call” at the MICF yesterday! (My sister was supposed to … 2021-03-30 : 🐱 Photo post:
It’s starting to feel like working is all I ever do… and Gidget’s also seemed pretty miffed at not having … 2021-03-31 : 🚌 Micro post:
This morning I found PTV’s bus live tracking seemed to be based on the bus timetable instead of its actual location?! … 2021-03-31 : 📰 On the 1979 Sydney Luna Park Fire :
Over the past couple of weeks I’ve appreciated the ABC’s Exposed documentary series on the 1979 Luna Park … 2021-03-31 : 📚 Book review:
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri (★★★★)2021-04-01 : ❤️ Liked:
“Guilt-Tripped by a Chalkboard Sign” by Cheri 2021-04-01 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The Three Factions of the American Left” by Ross Barkan 2021-04-01 : 💬 The Evolution of Canadian, Australian and NZ Englishes :
On Quora, I once answered a question about why Australian and NZ English sound more like “British English” … 2021-04-02 : 🗒 Micro post:
Good Friday today – start of a long weekend for Viv, and the school holidays for me! We’ve been blessed with … 2021-04-02 : 🏝 Photo post:
Today Viv and I went on an extended beach walk to soak up this late summery spell. And the beach was definitely the … 2021-04-02 : 🖥 Using Taxonomies to Create Monthly Archives in Hugo :
By default, Hugo doesn’t create date-based archive pages for you. And while it’s relatively straightforward … 2021-04-03 : 🏟 Micro post:
Whoo, just got home from a walk and saw that the Swans have unexpectedly beaten the reigning premiers Richmond (and … 2021-04-03 : 🍃 Photo post:
To further enjoy the perfect weather this weekend, Viv and I made it out to Sherbrooke Forest and did a 2¼ hour walk … 2021-04-03 : ⏰ Melbourne Time :
Tonight we set our clocks back to return to standard time, and as such here’s a discovery I made through Twitter: … 2021-04-03 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Why Easter is called Easter, and other little-known facts about the holiday” 2021-04-04 : 🍱 Photo post:
Today for lunch I cooked something new: dal makhani, based on this recipe with some cheeky simplifications (like, … 2021-04-05 : 💻 Category-Specific RSS Feeds :
Tonight I did something I’ve been meaning to do for a while – created a page outlining the RSS feeds for this site … 2021-04-06 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“How cultural comedy is making us laugh louder” 2021-04-06 : ❤️ Liked:
“On the eve of immunity, 10 reflections” by Ben Werdmüller 2021-04-07 : 💬 Why I Still Find Spanish Imperatives Hard :
I started learning Spanish over 11 years ago and I’m not too bad at it now, but I have to admit but one of the … 2021-04-07 : 🐶 Photo post:
We got to see this little guy a couple of times over the Easter long weekend! Despite Gizmo’s best efforts, he … 2021-04-07 : 📚 Book review:
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (★★½)2021-04-07 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“‘Just a simple fact’: Australia raises stake in vaccine war with Europe” 2021-04-07 : ❤️ Liked:
“How Facebook will benefit from its massive breach” by Cory Doctorow 2021-04-08 : 🐱 Micro post:
Had to run out a couple of hours ago when I heard a cat fight happening outside. Not sure who she was fighting, but I … 2021-04-09 : 🐱 Micro post:
Thanks for all the sympathy re: Gidget yesterday! Today she’s still limping when she walks, and mostly just … 2021-04-09 : ❤️ Liked:
“The real cancel culture” by Cory Doctorow 2021-04-09 : ❤️ Liked:
“How Working From Home Saved Me” by Alan Marsden 2021-04-09 : 🐱 Micro post:
We’ve been to the vet!
The good news is that there’s been no really bad news, although the vet wasn’t … 2021-04-09 : 🦠 AstraZeneca, blood clots and Australia :
Australia has followed the lead of a few European countries in curtailing the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines, due to … 2021-04-10 : 🐱 Photo post:
Some even better news from yesterday: Gidget is back to walking around normally and insisting on going on her regular … 2021-04-10 : ❤️ Liked:
“MLK Was a Radical Who Hated Not Only Racial Subordination But Class Exploitation” 2021-04-10 : ❤️ Liked:
“Text Adventures: How Twine remade gaming” 2021-04-10 : ❄️ Micro post:
The first wintry blast of the year has well and truly hit Melbourne. Today and tomorrow have maxima of around 15°C, but … 2021-04-11 : ❤️ Liked:
“If Australia was more democratic, would its economic policies be better?” 2021-04-13 : 🧅 Caramelised Onions :
Last night I made caramelised onions for the first time ever, prompted I guess by this article about how time-consuming … 2021-04-13 : 🌦 Photo post:
A couple of days ago now, but our regular Sunday walk on the beach took place in the vicious cold and got hit by icy … 2021-04-14 : 📚 Book review:
The Sleep Room by F.R. Tallis (★★★★)2021-04-15 : 🎮 Micro post:
Recently I found, and started playing, Melvor Idle. I’d been looking for a game I could play mindlessly while … 2021-04-15 : 🏙 Melbourne's Property Development Crisis :
Like many people, I think, I have an instinctive contempt for property developers.
It’s not that I object to new … 2021-04-15 : 🏟 Micro post:
Can I be real, it’s really confusing that the Swans and GWS are apparently facing off in the VFL on the same day … 2021-04-16 : 🎮 Micro post:
Hello all, I have made an incredible discovery! Someone has ported the game of my childhood, Extreme Tux Racer, to … 2021-04-17 : ❤️ Liked:
“Ethical anti-design, or designing products that people can't get addicted to.” 2021-04-18 : ❤️ Liked:
“The Affordable Game” by Patrick Rhone 2021-04-19 : 🎬 Judas and the Black Messiah :
Yesterday Viv and I went and saw Judas and the Black Messiah, at long last. It’s about the Black Panthers’ Fred … 2021-04-19 : ❤️ Liked:
“Is Aussie rules booming at rugby’s expense?” 2021-04-19 : ❤️ Liked:
“Heading back to Australia in times of Coronavirus” by Ash Kyd 2021-04-19 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“How to Self-Publish a Book in 10 Steps” by David Gaughran 2021-04-19 : 🖥 Micro post:
Had a weird experience today. I had to call Medicare to check on the progress of something that really should’ve … 2021-04-20 : 🐱 Photo post:
Holidays are over, so time to psych myself up for early starts again (yuck). Waking up before dawn is always tough, and … 2021-04-20 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“The European Super League Is the Inevitable Conclusion of Football Capitalism” 2021-04-22 : 📰 Micro post:
This is an important article for Australians who are outraged by US police murders of Black Americans, but are either … 2021-04-22 : ❤️ Liked:
“Marginalia 19: Four day weekend” by Hugh Rundle 2021-04-22 : ❤️ Liked:
““Modern” web design antipatterns” by fluffy 2021-04-23 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“More than 5,500 people get NSW police record after strip searches which found nothing illegal” 2021-04-23 : 🗒 Micro post:
It’s not the vaccine on everyone’s mind (cos I’m still not eligible for that one 😠) but I did have a … 2021-04-25 : 🎉 Reviewing Victoria's Public Holidays :
For those who are unaware, today (Sunday, 25 April) is the public holiday of Anzac Day, which commemorates a campaign … 2021-04-26 : 🖥 Micro post:
For a while I’ve been itching to try the Glitch-Soc variant of Mastodon, which has some improvements over the … 2021-04-26 : 🐱 Photo post:
I realised it had been a few days since Gidget had last made use of her $350 box, so I figured she didn’t want it … 2021-04-27 : 🗒 Micro post:
Had a routine blood test this morning that I had to fast for… let me tell you, I’m enjoying my coffee now … 2021-04-27 : ❤️ Liked:
“Our Politics at Work” by Jason Becker 2021-04-27 : 📱 Updating My Hugo Blog From My Phone :
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an individual in possession of a Hugo blog must feel compelled to make loads … 2021-04-27 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Israel is committing the crime of apartheid, rights watchdog says” 2021-04-27 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“India needs our vaccines” 2021-04-29 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“136 facts every web dev should know before they burn out and turn to landscape painting or nude modelling” by Baldur Bjarnason 2021-04-29 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Just 1.2 per cent of rental properties in Australia are affordable for minimum wage earners, analysis finds” 2021-04-29 : 🐱 Photo post:
Now this has been a common sight on recent mornings! You couldn’t ask for a sweeter or cuter cuddlebug ❤️ Maybe … 2021-04-30 : 🏝 Photo post:
It’s been many weeks since we’ve had a day as warm as 24°, but today Melbourne finally delivered! I had a … 2021-05-02 : 💻 Site update:
So, I’m taking the teensiest little baby steps towards creating a Micropub endpoint for my Hugo blog 🙈 So far, I … 2021-05-02 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“We spent six years scouring billions of links, and found the web is both expanding and shrinking” 2021-05-03 : 🏝 Photo post:
Some very dramatic skies about for our regular Sunday beach walk. 2021-05-04 : 🖥 Micro post:
Last night I got started setting up NextDNS. I run µBlock Origin pretty religiously on all my computers, but I’m … 2021-05-04 : 📷 Photo post:
Poor Viv has come down with a severe case of manflu. For 32 hours now he’s been languishing in bed, emerging only … 2021-05-05 : ❤️ Liked:
“The Instagram Ads Facebook Won't Show You” 2021-05-05 : 📰 Micro post:
Trump self-hosting his own microblog may not be the endorsement of the concept I would prefer, but I guess it’s … 2021-05-06 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“In Sheikh Jarrah, Palestinian youth are leading the struggle to defend their homes” 2021-05-06 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Is your kid studying a second language at school? How much they learn will depend on where you live” 2021-05-07 : 🌏 Antipodes of the World :
When I was a kid, I was somewhat obsessed with this question of, “If you tunnelled straight down into the Earth … 2021-05-10 : 💻 Site update:
It’s been outwardly really quiet on this blog in the last few days, and that’s because I’ve been hard … 2021-05-10 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget had to go to the vet again today. She needed a vaccination booster shot, but we also wanted her leg checked over … 2021-05-11 : 📚 Micro post:
Arkady Martine’s new book, A Desolation Called Peace (the follow-up to A Memory Called Empire) has finally come … 2021-05-11 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“How the Myths of “Progressive Neoliberalism” Hollowed Out Australia’s Left”
2021-05-11 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Messaging and Chat Control” by Patrick Breyer
2021-05-11 : 💻 Site update:
I’ve run into more obstacles than I thought I would, but not only do I have an Indiekit Micropub endpoint up and … 2021-05-12 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“What cats’ love of boxes and squares can tell us about their visual perception”
2021-05-12 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“Twitter Said It Restricted Palestinian Writer's Account by Accident”
2021-05-13 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“What We Did: How the Jewish Communist Left Failed the Palestinian Cause”
2021-05-13 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“On Palestine, the Media Is Allergic to the Truth”
2021-05-13 : 💻 Site update:
I think the DNS has all updated now, so that’s that: I’m now serving my site through BunnyCDN, which should … 2021-05-14 : 🐱 Micro post:
We’ve dropped Gidget off for the x-rays she needs. To say she was unhappy would be a gross understatement. She had … 2021-05-14 : 🏝 Photo post:
I took this photo last weekend when we went on our regular beach walk. It’s only when I looked back on it that I … 2021-05-14 : 🖥 Micro post:
After many days in a row of somehow building up dozens of open tabs, I’ve caved in and installed the Tree Style … 2021-05-14 : 🐱 Photo post:
We’ve brought Gidget home after her x-rays. The news is pretty bad, but not catastrophic. She doesn’t only … 2021-05-14 : ⭐️ Bookmarked:
“New law allows Australian government to indefinitely detain refugees”
2021-05-15 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget’s new meds are for sure making her really sleepy. Today we walked down to a pet supplies store to buy her … 2021-05-16 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget is a lot more wakeful today, thank goodness. She does like her purple spinning toy (apparently called a …
Jessica Smith is a left-wing feminist who loves animals, books, gaming, and cooking; she’s also very interested in linguistics, history, technology and society.
Jessica Smith is a left-wing feminist who loves animals, books, gaming, and cooking; she’s also very interested in linguistics, history, technology and society.