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Posts from 2022
2022-01-01 :
🇮🇹 Link:
“Four-gender systems in Indo-European” 2022-01-02 :
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“Book review – Evita Burned Down Our Pavilion” 2022-01-02 :
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“Witty title-less post about the Finnish formal pronoun” 2022-01-02 : 🐶 Photo post:
My folks weren’t able to come for their usual Sunday visit today, because my sister woke up with a sore throat. … 2022-01-03 : 💉 Micro post:
Yayyyy, I’ve managed to book my Covid vaccine booster shot for January 31! It seemed harder than it … 2022-01-05 :
🇩🇰 Link:
“Danish children struggle to learn their vowel-filled language – and this changes how adult Danes interact” 2022-01-05 :
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“Are official COVID-19 case numbers now useless?” 2022-01-05 : 💻 Site update:
Published a bunch of new pages to my personal wiki today, most of them not truly new (they’d been in my Obsidian … 2022-01-06 : 🏏 Micro post:
One “sports history” tidbit that I quite like is the fact that cricket and ten-pin bowling ultimately derive … 2022-01-07 : 🎹 Curly Quotes on Mac Keyboards :
I’m seriously kind of bugged by the positions of the curly quotes symbols on the Mac keyboard. Their positions … 2022-01-07 : 🎹 I configured Karabiner to better type curly quotes :
As a follow-up to my last post, I can happily say that I fixed my Mac’s key combinations for curly quotes by … 2022-01-08 : 🐱 Photo post:
Yesterday evening, one of our neighbours’ cats, Ben, paid a visit to our front porch. Rolled around for a while and made … 2022-01-08 : 💻 Site update:
Did something I’ve been intending to do for a while, and added glightbox (external link) to this site so … 2022-01-12 :
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“Antiwork Reddit: Australians join ‘Great Resignation’ over Covid-19 rules” 2022-01-12 :
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“From Safsaf to Sydney: Palestinian resistance and the festival boycott” 2022-01-12 :
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“3 in 4 people want to ride a bike but are put off by lack of safe lanes” 2022-01-12 :
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“COVID supply chain crisis shows what's really at the heart of the economy — healthy humans” 2022-01-14 :
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“Melbourne suburb names etymology” 2022-01-14 : 🐱 Photo post:
As cats tend to do, Gidget has found herself a new regular spot to frequent for a while… the base of her cat tower! She … 2022-01-14 :
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“Right-wing politics is cancerous to democracy, society, and human life” by Greg Larsen 2022-01-17 :
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“How bad are gas stoves? I ran some experiments to find out.” 2022-01-17 :
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“Look around you. The way we live explains why we are increasingly polarized” 2022-01-17 :
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“BBC licence fee to be abolished in 2027 and funding frozen” 2022-01-17 : 🎾 Thoughts on Novak Djokovic :
So I woke up this morning to the news that, after 11 days of legal conflict and confusing news reports, male tennis no. … 2022-01-18 :
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“Revealed: UK Gov't Plans Publicity Blitz to Undermine Chat Privacy” 2022-01-18 : 🗣 Reply: Thank you for reading! It hasn’t been the most straightforward story to follow even if you had been trying, but … 2022-01-19 : 🖥 Wordle :
I’m clearly a bit of a latecomer to Wordle (external link), but I found the website today 🙂 From my … 2022-01-21 :
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“Is English cricket's class and race problem behind their dismal Ashes defeat?” 2022-01-21 :
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“A love letter to the electric bike” 2022-01-22 : 🏏 Micro post:
Can I be real, it’s pretty disappointing that an entire Ashes game can be called off just because it rained for a … 2022-01-23 : 🐱 Micro post:
Why does my cat keep grabbing chunks of wet food out of her bowl, dumping them on the floor, then breaking them up and … 2022-01-23 :
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“Animated Changes in Population 10000 BCE to Present” 2022-01-24 : ☕️ Micro post:
Our kettle broke the other day (it must have a crack that I can’t see because it started leaking water … 2022-01-24 : 🐶 Photo post:
The last couple of times Gizmo has visited, he hasn’t really wanted to hang out in the living room with us like … 2022-01-25 : 🐱 Photo post:
Was strangely unable to find Gidget earlier today, until I noticed her back feet poking out from the base layer of the … 2022-01-26 :
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“Aboriginal Tent Embassy — ‘the guys who woke up Australia’ — marks its 50th anniversary” 2022-01-27 : 🚘 Micro post:
Almost got whacked by a psycho in a car on my way to the shops today because he decided to floor it down an ultra-quiet … 2022-01-28 :
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“Searching for Susy Thunder” 2022-01-28 : 🧬 We Got Our DNA Results Back! :
A couple of months ago, I wrote about how Vivian had ordered these AncestryDNA kits, along with some thoughts on how … 2022-01-30 : 🐶 Photo post:
Gizmo seemed to feel like this teddy bear was a nice thing to cuddle up to last night ❤️ 2022-01-30 :
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“Latin as She is Spoke: How Classicists Tricked Themselves, and the Real Issue with Mary Beard’s Latin” by A.Z. Foreman 2022-01-30 : 🐶 Photo post:
This is Daisy; we got to see him today when we visited Viv’s brother’s and sister-in-law’s place! … 2022-01-31 : 💉 Micro post:
Well, I’m home after getting my booster shot! The pharmacy was really efficient and pleasant and I’m glad I … 2022-02-01 : 💉 Micro post:
Really not loving the side effects I’m having from my booster shot 😔 My original vaccine course was Pfizer, which … 2022-02-01 :
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“Pacific nationals working on Queensland farms claim they are barely making enough money to survive” 2022-02-01 :
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“Gwen C. Katz on Twitter” 2022-02-04 :
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“People Share Their Worst Experiences With Centrelink On Twitter” 2022-02-04 :
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“Hollywood Discovers the Middle-Aged Woman” 2022-02-04 :
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“Teaching Humans and Machines to Listen to Arrernte, an Indigenous Language of Central Australia” 2022-02-04 : 🤔 Micro post:
Sauce bottles where legitimately the last 10% of the sauce refuses to come out and just gets stuck on the sides of the … 2022-02-05 :
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“Glenn Youngkin Set Up a Tip Line to Snitch on Teachers. It’s Only Gotten Weirder Since.” 2022-02-06 : 🐱 Photo post:
Since that long heatwave ended, Gidget’s been a lot more cuddly, almost like she’s remembered how nice it is … 2022-02-08 :
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“NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet wants to shake up school hours — this is what it could look like” 2022-02-08 : 🎬 A Short Review of Every Harry Potter Movie :
On Saturday, Vivian and I completed a goal that at one point he didn’t think we’d ever achieve: we have now … 2022-02-08 : 🐱 Photo post:
This is how Gidget kept us company as we watched the last Harry Potter movie, for what it’s worth! Unfortunate for … 2022-02-09 : ⌚️ Micro post:
In the past few weeks I’ve been having this issue with the sleep tracking feature of my Fitbit, which is that it … 2022-02-10 : 🪶 Photo post:
Woke up this morning to find this magpie watching me sleep!! This chair it was perched on is effectively right next to … 2022-02-11 : 🔍 Micro post:
I liked this quote, attributed to Rebecca Solnit, from this article ruminating on the longevity of … 2022-02-11 :
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“Publishers Are Taking the Internet to Court” 2022-02-11 :
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“A recent history of Sydney’s frequent public transport” 2022-02-12 : 🍱 Photo post:
Had a go at a new recipe today – jollof rice, working from this Kitchn recipe (external link). I did add chicken … 2022-02-12 : 💻 Site update:
On the off-chance anyone is interested, I just published a big batch of languages-related pages from my Obsidian vault … 2022-02-14 : 🐱 Photo post:
A couple of pics from last night: the sleepyheads 😉 2022-02-15 : 🌅 Valentine’s Day :
Viv and I went out to a local Vietnamese restaurant for dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day last night, then took … 2022-02-16 :
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“Time Period of the word “cool” and its synonyms” 2022-02-16 :
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“It could be last drinks at famous John Curtin Hotel as owners put iconic pub up for sale” 2022-02-17 : 🖥 Micro post:
I’m really tempted to try out Vivaldi (external link) as my daily driver for a while. I’ve been … 2022-02-17 :
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“This lawyer should be world-famous for his battle with Chevron – but he’s in jail” 2022-02-18 : 🐱 Photo post:
Looking out through the porthole! 🐱 This cat igloo is located on top of a box, too, so that’s like double points … 2022-02-19 : 🪶 Photo post:
I’d been perplexed and even a little concerned the last few days, because our magpie friends who are usually such … 2022-02-19 :
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“Multilingual Europe” by Ingrid Piller 2022-02-20 :
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“Media Websites: 70% of the Carbon Footprint Caused by Ads and Stats” 2022-02-20 :
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“An Antifascist’s Position on Ukraine” by Emily Gorcenski 2022-02-20 :
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“Cristina Calderón, last speaker of Yaghan language, dies in Chile at 93” 2022-02-20 :
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“Magpies face bleak future as heat rises with climate change” 2022-02-22 : 🎬 Movie Adaptions :
When my folks visited on the weekend, we channel-surfed a bit and ended up watching portions of two movies that were … 2022-02-22 :
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“Altruism in birds? Magpies have outwitted scientists by helping each other remove tracking devices” 2022-02-23 :
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“Google Search Is Dying” 2022-02-23 :
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“Cincinnati Built a Subway System 100 Years Ago–But Never Used It” 2022-02-24 : 🇺🇦 Micro post:
Distressed to see that Russia has launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine. I’d really hoped that some kind of … 2022-02-25 : 🇷🇺 Micro post:
It was heartening to catch up on social media this morning and see just how many Russians protested against their … 2022-02-25 :
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“The marvel of the Pilbara cooperative movement” 2022-02-25 :
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“Ukraine: Between Two Fires” 2022-02-26 :
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“I’ve been waiting 15 years for Facebook to die. I’m more hopeful than ever” 2022-02-27 : 🐶 Photo post:
Last night Viv and I went to a housewarming party – one set of his aunts and uncles moved house recently and wanted to … 2022-02-28 : 🚗 Micro post:
Having an annoying morning dealing with bureaucratic bullshit today. Late last week, Vivian got a parking fine for … 2022-02-28 : 🇧🇾 Micro post:
Ohh, I love this. Belarusian hackers launched a cyber attack on their country’s railway … 2022-03-02 : 🐱 Photo post:
Recent photo of a disgruntled cat. Featuring a sleepy Vivian up there in the top-left corner 😉 I think Gidget was cranky … 2022-03-03 : 💬 Evolution of English Accents :
I watched a couple of interesting YouTube videos last night: this one, demonstrating how London accents have evolved … 2022-03-05 : 🏏 Micro post:
Hope I don’t come across like a total asshole in this post but with the death of Shane Warne announced today, I … 2022-03-07 : 🐶 Photo post:
Yesterday afternoon Gizmo had just about the best beach walk of his life. Not only did he meet another dog… who … 2022-03-10 : 🍂 Micro post:
Over the last couple of days, it’s really dawned on me that summer is over, and autumn is here. Two days ago was … 2022-03-10 : 📱 Micro post:
Porting my mobile phone over to a new network today, assuming it all goes smoothly. Since the demise of Virgin Mobile … 2022-03-11 : 🐶 Photo post:
My folks are going away for the long weekend, so we’ve got Gizmo staying with us until Monday! He’s been a … 2022-03-12 : 🐶 Our Day With Gizmo :
It’s been a surprisingly busy and tiring day considering Gizmo isn’t really too hard to look after. … 2022-03-14 : 🐶 Photo post:
Gizmo’s clearly watched too much of those cyclone preparedness videos that used to be on TV when I was a kid, … 2022-03-18 : 💬 Micro post:
Seems I haven’t been posting much in recent days! We returned Gizmo home on Monday (he seemed excited to be back … 2022-03-19 : 🦠 Indecision: A ‘Post-Pandemic’ Story :
As I’ve mentioned in the past, pre-pandemic Viv and I had a tradition of seeing the Swans-Bombers game every year, … 2022-03-20 :
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“Never on a Sunday: Western Australia’s long history of banning fun” 2022-03-20 :
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“The Red Scare Scarred the Left — But Couldn’t Kill It” 2022-03-20 :
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“To Rebuild a Universal Welfare State, We Need to Scrap Means-Testing” 2022-03-20 :
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“Freedom Isn’t Free” by Wendy Liu 2022-03-21 : 🚊 Micro post:
Came across this infographic on Twitter (external link) and I really appreciated it. For all that, e.g. the … 2022-03-23 :
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“Inside the Fight to Save Video Game History” 2022-03-23 :
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“The Greens’ liveable income guarantee is a serious idea the major parties won’t touch – yet” 2022-03-24 : 🐱 Photo post:
Morning snuggles with the baby cat ❤️ 2022-03-24 :
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“Sales of anti-Scott Morrison bin stickers surge after Liberal council threatens rubbish services” 2022-03-25 : 🏟 Photo post:
This was one wild thing to witness! Can’t help but think there’s good safety reasons why it’s not … 2022-03-26 : 🪶 Micro post:
This is the magpies this morning, between bouts of gathering in my yard to wail at the top of their little avian lungs: … 2022-03-26 : 🍃 Photo post:
Vivian and I made it back to Sherbrooke Forest today for a 2½ hour hike 😊 The weather was perfect, and the scenery was … 2022-03-27 :
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“Why We Use “lol” So Much” 2022-03-28 : 🐱 Photo post:
We had to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Still boxed, but Gidget already doesn’t seem too sure about it 😂 2022-03-30 :
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“Interoperability Should Be Simple” by Greg Morris 2022-03-31 : 💬 Rambling on Hugo’s Multilingual Mode :
A couple of days ago I started experimenting with Hugo’s multilingual mode (external link). Basically, I … 2022-04-01 : 🐶 Photo post:
I keep building up a backlog of cute pet photos I haven’t got around to posting yet 😄 Anyway, here’s one of … 2022-04-01 : 🎬 Micro post:
I watched the second Fantastic Beasts movie (Crimes of Grindelwald) tonight, because it was on free-to-air. I was so … 2022-04-02 :
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“How proprietary social-medias are shaping the future of Pepper&Carrot” by David Revoy 2022-04-02 :
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“How do kids conceive the internet?” by curlybracket 2022-04-02 : 🐱 Photo post:
I’ve seen people online jokingly refer to their cats as “trash kitty”, and while I have never before … 2022-04-04 : 🍻 Alcohol Tolerance :
Have an appointment at a hospital tomorrow to finally hear back about what, if anything, was found by the MRI of my … 2022-04-05 : 🐱 Micro post:
Currently on the train, where it’s required to wear a mask. Can’t help but marvel at Gidget’s talent … 2022-04-05 : 🏥 Micro post:
So, I had my hospital appointment! The MRI confirmed that what I have is focal nodular hyperplasia (external … 2022-04-06 : ⛲️ The Value of Idleness :
Here’s an interesting Twitter thread (external link) on how much time people in a range of small, … 2022-04-07 : 🐱 Photo post:
Mostly Gidget has just liked hiding on the very base level of this cat tower, so it’s good to see her … 2022-04-08 :
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“Home Sweet Homepage” by Amy Wibowo 2022-04-09 : 🎬 Micro post:
This Indian movie RRR sounds pretty cool (see ABC review (external link)). It’s described as …a … 2022-04-09 : 🐱 Photo post:
Next door is about to be demolished for an apartment block, and today tradies were dismantling the roof and noisily … 2022-04-12 : 🐱 Photo post:
Surprisingly, considering how she responded to the roof tiles being removed, Gidget is being very brave about the actual … 2022-04-12 : 💵 The Massaged Unemployment Rate :
Actually so annoyed that the media (even the “impartial” ABC!) is playing along with the government’s … 2022-04-14 : 💻 Site update:
Over the last couple of days I’ve done a bit more site tinkering, and revamped my tag pages. Basically I wanted to … 2022-04-14 :
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“Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives” 2022-04-14 : 🛒 Micro post:
Ah yes, my favourite day of the year to go to the supermarket: that day seemingly everyone freaks out that the … 2022-04-16 : 🌃 It's Been a Busy Couple of Days! :
On Thursday night, Viv and I caught the train into the city and met up with my sister to attend a show of the Comedy … 2022-04-19 : 💻 Site update:
I just can’t stop tinkering 🙈 It’s been quiet on the blog for a few days, but I’ve added a bunch more … 2022-04-20 :
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“Clean Transport 101: Replace” by Simbera 2022-04-21 :
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“Are plastic containers safe for our food?” 2022-04-21 :
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“Vladimir Putin’s rumoured purge over his disastrous war in Ukraine could show he fell into the ‘dictator trap’” 2022-04-21 : 🌧 Micro post:
We ordered a dehumidifier recently, and it was delivered yesterday. I’ve been genuinely surprised just how much … 2022-04-22 :
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“Low Friction Introduction to Digital Privacy” 2022-04-23 :
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“Twitter thread: ‘Today in my general relativity class I got to talk about my favorite SUPER WEIRD COSMOLOGY FACT…’” by Katie Mack @AstroKatie 2022-04-23 :
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“How Similar are the Ukrainian and Russian Languages?” 2022-04-23 : 🐱 Photo post:
Here’s Gidget spending a sunny afternoon in her cat bed! Not pictured: the dozens of times Gidget gave me a very … 2022-04-24 :
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“We Want Longer Weekends — but Not Longer Workdays” 2022-04-24 :
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“How an army refusal letter became the last stand of the Zionist left” 2022-04-24 :
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“A Four-Day Workweek Will Benefit Everyone, But Especially Women” 2022-04-24 :
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“Carpets, books, and jewelry: Why looting was central to the Nakba” 2022-04-25 :
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“‘Dole bludger’ narrative has always been destructive and that's why some people like using it” 2022-04-25 : 🐶 Photo post:
Gizmo came by for a visit last night (he dragged his humans along with him too, of course 🤣), and laid claim to my … 2022-04-26 : 🖥 So Elon Musk Bought Twitter :
Just before I went to bed last night, the news broke that notoriously obnoxious billionaire Elon Musk had clinched a … 2022-04-27 : ❤️ Like of:
“Just step sideways round this grubby world” by Leon Paternoster 2022-04-27 :
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“How China’s Labor Migrants Write Poetry in the Workshop of the World” 2022-04-27 :
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“Fix the Internet By Writing Good Stuff and Being Nice to People” by Vicki Boykis 2022-04-27 :
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“The Left Has a Long, Proud Tradition of Opposing War” 2022-04-28 :
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“Suharto’s Old Guard Is Still Calling the Shots in Indonesia” 2022-04-28 : 🐱 Photo post:
Thought I’d share these couple of pictures of Gidget on my lap in the bed the other night. She’s a very good … 2022-04-29 : 💵 Micro post:
If you remember the rant I posted a couple of weeks ago about how bullshit official unemployment figures are, you might … 2022-04-30 :
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“Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites Are Still Too Bright” 2022-04-30 :
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“Mastodon’s Eugen Rochko Talks Decentralization, Blockchain, And Grifters” 2022-04-30 : 🐱 Micro post:
Today’s been a tiring day. Viv and I went to Kmart, cos I was thinking we needed a new mop, but you know how Kmart … 2022-05-02 : 🐱 Gidget Saw the Vet :
So, after a few days of acting strange, Gidget saw the vet today. Said vet thought there were a couple of things going … 2022-05-03 :
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“The War in Ukraine Is a Colonial War” 2022-05-05 :
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“We Need Public Housing, Not Affordable Housing” 2022-05-05 :
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“Joe Biden Is Making Americans’ Political Nihilism Worse” 2022-05-05 :
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“What Elon Musk Can Learn From Mastodon—and What He Can’t” 2022-05-05 : 🐱 Photo post:
When you need to get up and eat lunch, but a certain cat has you trapped by your arm… 🐈 2022-05-05 :
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““Elephant in the room”: Clean energy’s need for unsustainable minerals” 2022-05-06 :
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“Why Lithium Mining For EV Batteries Should Be Our ‘Absolute Last Resort’” 2022-05-06 :
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“Search histories, location data, text messages: How personal data could be used to enforce anti-abortion laws” 2022-05-07 :
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“Behold, the Book Blob” 2022-05-08 : 🇦🇺 Zoe Daniel and the Teal Independents :
In just under two weeks, Australia will be holding a federal election. We’ve had a right-wing Liberal/National … 2022-05-09 :
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“Privileged people misjudge effects of pro-equality policies on them” 2022-05-10 :
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“Unsettling Futures - Brandon Sanderson, fame, and the failure of the Long Tail” by Matthew Claxton 2022-05-11 : 📱 Micro post:
So Apple discontinued the iPod! A while back, I published a wiki page with my nostalgia-tinged thoughts on the … 2022-05-11 :
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“‘Just embarrassing’: Young people have lost all confidence in politicians, survey shows” 2022-05-11 :
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“Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh killed in Israeli raid: Live news” 2022-05-11 : 🖥 Micro post:
I enjoyed this Sarah Z video on the rise and fall of geek culture (external link), even though it’s … 2022-05-12 :
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“Israel’s High Court Rules in Favor of Forced Population Transfer” 2022-05-12 : 🐱 Photo post:
As you might remember, Gidget has been on a vet-ordered diet for the last 10 days. She is very unimpressed with it. Look … 2022-05-12 :
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“Please don’t let anyone Americanise it!” 2022-05-12 : 💻 Time for a Not-So-Fun Hugo Fact! :
If you have a post with only one category, and choose between adding it to your post’s YAML metadata in one of the … 2022-05-12 : ❤️ Like of:
“Why blog?” by Chuck Grimmett 2022-05-13 :
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“Spit hoods still used in Australian immigration detention centres” by Denham Sadler 2022-05-13 :
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“To Solve Its Economic Crisis, Sri Lanka Must Demilitarize” 2022-05-13 :
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“What the Science on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Kids Really Shows” 2022-05-13 : 🐱 Micro post:
Gidget today has been so desperate to show me the malign impact of this diet the vet has her on that a) she grabbed a … 2022-05-15 : ❤️ Like of:
“Thoughts on Micro.blog” by Robb Knight 2022-05-15 :
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“COVID-19 infections in Australia hit worldwide highs — and experts predict another Omicron variant spike is coming” 2022-05-15 :
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“Allow yourself to dream, Australia. Morrison may be at his end” 2022-05-15 :
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“The EU Commission is planning automatic CSAM scanning of your private communication – or total surveillance in the name of child protection.” 2022-05-16 : 🐶 Photo post:
Gizmo decided to be a real bro to his best friend Gidget when he visited last night. He nagged and nagged Vivian to feed … 2022-05-16 :
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“Building a Digital Homestead, Bit by Brick” by Tom Critchlow 2022-05-16 :
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“Want to make art? You better be rich: how Australian culture locked out the working class” 2022-05-17 : 🎙 How Eurovision Breaks Up Families :
I’ve been debating with myself whether I even want to post this entry because it is a little petty, but it’s … 2022-05-17 : 🇦🇺 Micro post:
Why did I get a personally-addressed letter in the mail purporting to be from John Howard? And what’s more, why … 2022-05-17 :
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“Breakfast with the Panthers” 2022-05-17 :
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“Esperanto Banned 70 Years Ago” 2022-05-17 :
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“No to the Cane” 2022-05-18 :
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“The time SUSE, the German Linux company, banned mentioning Jewish holidays.” by Brian Lunduke 2022-05-18 :
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“The Parable of the Amen Snorter and the Rotten Fish” by James Ley 2022-05-18 :
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“British Police Have Disturbingly Deceived Many Activists Into Romantic Relationships” 2022-05-19 :
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“Who owns Einstein? The battle for the world’s most famous face” 2022-05-19 : 🇦🇺 The AEC and Early Voting Eligibility :
The other day I discovered that according to the AEC, you’re still supposed to have a valid reason for voting … 2022-05-20 : 💬 Micro post:
Today I discovered that the English word country is in fact cognate to Latin (and descendents’) contra; apparently it … 2022-05-20 :
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“Why is Australia's parliament so white?” 2022-05-20 :
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“MI5 agent used secret status to terrorise girlfriend” 2022-05-20 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget’s week has been full of ups and downs. Some days she’s felt starved (Monday when she nagged Viv to … 2022-05-21 : 🐱 Photo post:
Took a little selfie with Gidget this morning… and at the same time I get to show off this neat new jumper I bought, … 2022-05-22 : 🇦🇺 Quick Thoughts on the Election Results :
We had a late night staying up to see as many of the results roll in as we could, and so today my mind is all ajumble … 2022-05-23 : 🐱 Photo post:
Noisy day today. The construction site next door seems to be digging out all the earth where their underground carpark … 2022-05-24 : 🏗 Micro post:
Honestly, day 2 of unrelenting loud excavation work and I’m on Gidget’s side now. I tried going for a walk … 2022-05-26 :
🏫 Link:
“Investigation reveals tracking by EdTech of millions of Australian school students during COVID lockdowns” 2022-05-26 : ❤️ Like of:
“IndieWeb + Tumblr = 💜” by fluffy 2022-05-26 : 🐶 Photo post:
I have a few photos to catch up on posting 😅 Anyway, Gizmo got the best seat in the house at our little Election Night … 2022-05-27 : 💉 Micro post:
Went to get my flu vaccine this morning. Considering it’s already a bad flu season maybe I should’ve gone … 2022-05-27 : 🏟 On Wimbledon and Married Women’s Names :
What strikes me about this article (external link) is not so much the part about Wimbledon dropping … 2022-05-28 :
📰 Link:
“Fear of history revisionism as Marcos family returns to power sparks panic buying of Philippines history books” 2022-05-28 :
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“The Stepney schoolchildren’s strike, 1971” 2022-05-29 : 💬 Return to Duolingo :
Nine days ago (to judge by my streak), I dusted off my old Duolingo account and (re-)started working through a couple of … 2022-05-30 : 🐱 Photo post:
With the cool weather and the front room being a bad place to work what with all the construction work going on next … 2022-06-01 : 🌧 Micro post:
The weather for the past three days has been absolutely terribad, but this year at least I’ve outsmarted it: two … 2022-06-02 :
🖥 Link:
“It's Time to Bring Back the AIM Away Message” 2022-06-02 : 👗 Thoughts on Clothing Longevity :
A few days ago I saw this astounding Mastodon post (external link) which says that the average item of clothing … 2022-06-03 :
🇨🇳 Link:
“The faces from China’s Uyghur detention camps” 2022-06-03 :
♻️ Link:
“Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work” 2022-06-04 : 🏝 Photo post:
Viv got me to walk on the beach with him today, and I guess I feel good for having got the exercise, but MAN the weather … 2022-06-04 :
💬 Link:
“Lakota elders helped a white man preserve their language. Then he tried to sell it back to them.” 2022-06-04 :
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“Car tyres produce vastly more particle pollution than exhausts, tests show” 2022-06-05 : 🐶 Photo post:
The weather today wasn’t any better than yesterday, but we rugged up well and took Gizmo on his regular beach … 2022-06-06 : 💬 Micro post:
After toying with the idea for a while, I made an additional Mastodon account to practise writing in (mostly, probably) … 2022-06-07 :
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“Ryanair Afrikaans test: South African fury over language quiz” 2022-06-07 :
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“A huge Atlantic ocean current is slowing down. If it collapses, La Niña could become the norm for Australia” 2022-06-07 :
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“Science Fiction is a Luddite Literature” by Cory Doctorow 2022-06-07 :
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“Israel’s peace camp is taking up bulldozers to fight the occupation” 2022-06-07 :
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“Across Latin America, the Feminist Movement Is in the Streets” 2022-06-07 : 🌅 Photo post:
The cold snap continues with no end in sight, but at least we got a pretty sunset tonight. My iPhone camera … 2022-06-08 :
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“Russian-language Ukrainian TV channel aims to topple Putin” 2022-06-08 :
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“Global hunger fight means no biofuel” 2022-06-08 :
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“In Australia’s Election, Rupert Murdoch Was a Surprise Loser” 2022-06-09 : 🐱 Photo post:
Food delivery service! 📦
Gidget loves to lick up those skerricks of milk that remain at the bottom of my cereal bowl … 2022-06-09 :
🖥 Link:
“I’ve locked myself out of my digital life” by Terence Eden 2022-06-10 : 🐱 Photo post:
Where is the cat? 🤔 🐈 2022-06-10 : 😡 On Ido and Far-Right Subversion :
So, I wanted to share a little experience I had on the Internet last weekend.
As I’ve mentioned, I have an … 2022-06-11 : 🍷 Micro post:
Today we’re heading down to the Food and Wine Festival on the Mornington Peninsula. That’s where my uncle … 2022-06-11 : 🐱 Photo post:
Poor Gidget was pretty convinced that the reason we were busily getting ready this morning had to be that we were going … 2022-06-13 :
🏘 Link:
“Freezing indoors? That’s because Australian homes are closer to tents than insulated eco-buildings” 2022-06-14 :
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“Against Afro-Pessimism” 2022-06-14 : 🖥 Micro post:
What does it say about me that I use my meal planner app as my personal calendar? 🤔 It has a “notes” … 2022-06-15 :
🇺🇸 Link:
“Elephant in the Zoom: How Meltdowns Brought Progressive Groups to a Standstill” 2022-06-15 : 🖥 Content Warnings :
I saw a little discussion about content warnings (external link) on Micro.blog today, and it reminded me that I … 2022-06-15 :
🇦🇺 Link:
“Clarke and Dawe - The Energy Market Explained” 2022-06-15 :
🌅 Link:
“Tonga volcano ‘afterglow’ creates dazzling sunsets across New Zealand and Australia” 2022-06-15 :
🇿🇦 Link:
“Ryanair Afrikaans test: Why South Africa loves and loathes the language” 2022-06-17 : 🇺🇸 On Homelessness, Crime and Drugs :
So I read this article, How San Francisco Became a Failed City (external link). I was going to save it as a link … 2022-06-17 : ❤️ Like of:
“Would 1950s Living Standards Save Us?” by Björn Wärmedal 2022-06-17 :
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“I Should Be Able To Mute America” 2022-06-18 : 🪶 Micro post:
One of the magpies came by on her own and took a piece of walnut directly from my hand 😍 2022-06-18 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget saw the magpies 😾 2022-06-21 : 🎬 Photo post:
Last night I went, with Viv and my sister, to the Astor Theatre to see Full Metal Jacket. I actually liked it more than … 2022-06-21 : ❤️ Like of:
“Old-school blogging, retro computers, and decentralisation” by Andre Alves Garzia 2022-06-21 :
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“Is Google Dying? Or Did the Web Grow Up?” 2022-06-22 :
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“Abolish the Military-Entertainment Complex” 2022-06-23 :
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“What would a flying-free world look like?” 2022-06-23 : 🖥 Micro post:
Viv and I went to JB Hi-Fi this evening to buy him a new 16" MacBook Pro 😛 He’s been soldiering on for almost … 2022-06-27 : ❤️ Like of:
“Link: Crossed Rails” by Leon Paternoster 2022-06-27 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
It’s been quiet on this blog for the last few days, and a large part of why is that I’ve been writing. Well, … 2022-06-29 :
✍🏻 Link:
“A solution to writer’s block: Transcribe yourself” by Austin Kleon 2022-06-29 :
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“How Australia’s version of Roe v Wade, a little-known court case, set a national precedent for reproductive rights” 2022-06-29 :
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“She Spent a Decade Writing Fake Russian History. Wikipedia Just Noticed.” 2022-07-01 :
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“Don’t Lie To Me About Web 2.0” 2022-07-01 : 🖥 On Cohost and Interoperable Social Media :
Spent a chunk of this morning reading about a new social media site that I guess has launched in some kind of public … 2022-07-03 : 🐶 Photo post:
Busy, bittersweet weekend this one is turning out to be. Yesterday, we and a bunch of my dad’s family worked on … 2022-07-04 : ❤️ Like of:
“My American thought experiment” by Ben Werdmüller 2022-07-04 :
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“Police failed to adequately investigate deaths of four Indigenous women, former officer says” 2022-07-06 :
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“Get Ready For the Forever Plague” 2022-07-07 : 😷 Micro post:
Up till now, this has been Vivian and I defiantly avoiding Covid:
Super Mario Maker 2 video where Mario somehow manages … 2022-07-08 :
🇬🇧 Link:
“‘I don’t want to live in a society where people are kidnapped from their homes’: the neighbours fighting immigration raids” 2022-07-08 : 🚊 Car-Centric Ableism :
I originally posted a version of this post as a comment on Mastodon (external link) but I thought I might as well … 2022-07-09 :
🤰🏾 Link:
“Women’s business” 2022-07-10 : 🦠 Micro post:
Apparently my younger sister’s tested positive for Covid, so she won’t be able to fly back from the UK on … 2022-07-11 : 💬 On (and In) the Shavian Alphabet :
NB: I wrote this post first in Shavian, then transliterated it back into the Roman alphabet. Both versions are presented … 2022-07-11 :
📰 Link:
“Six great moments in Jewish working-class history” 2022-07-12 :
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“‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder” 2022-07-12 : 🐱 Photo post:
Still feeling crummy from my apparently-a-cold (in fact, if anything it’s getting worse 🙁) but Gidget is doing her … 2022-07-13 :
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“When the cosplaying dolphins met the cosplaying French philosophers” by Matt Webb 2022-07-13 :
♿️ Link:
“Half of Australian managers have never hired a person with disability, survey shows” 2022-07-13 :
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“Video Games Are for Everyone—And That Should Include Disabled People” 2022-07-14 : ❤️ Like of:
“Naturally enforced digital detox” by Mike Crittenden 2022-07-15 : 🏘 Micro post:
The complete failure of Australia’s housing stock to be appropriate for living in during winter is in the news … 2022-07-15 :
🏫 Link:
“Mindfulness in schools does not improve mental health, study finds” 2022-07-17 : 🐶 Photo post:
My parents have gone to Bendigo for a couple of days, so Gizmo is staying with us! Originally the plan had been that my … 2022-07-18 :
🇨🇳 Link:
“A million-word novel got censored before it was even shared. Now Chinese users want answers.” 2022-07-19 : 🐱 Photo post:
We’re due to return Gizmo home later this afternoon. Gidget hasn’t been able to resist bullying Gizmo a … 2022-07-23 :
🔬 Link:
“Two decades of Alzheimer’s research may be based on deliberate fraud that has cost millions of lives” 2022-07-23 : ☔️ The Winter Blues :
Seasonal depression has been kicking my butt lately. And by “lately”, I mean the last two months, I guess, … 2022-07-24 : 🖥 Micro post:
I keep ending up with SO MANY open tabs because I’ll be like, “I want to read this article/comment on … 2022-07-25 :
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“Novelists Still Don’t Know How To Talk About The Internet” 2022-07-26 :
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“What I Mean When I Say ‘Ban Cars’” 2022-07-26 :
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“Should class snobbery be banned?” 2022-07-27 : 🐱 Photo post:
Just a quick selection of Gidget photos from one recent morning! 😸 As far as her vet-ordered diet is going, good news: … 2022-07-27 :
🖥 Link:
“Sunset of the social network” 2022-07-28 : ❤️ Like of:
“We Don’t Do That Here” by Aja Hammerley 2022-07-28 : 🎮 On Interactive Fiction and Language-Learning :
Last week, I spent a few hours going down the rabbit-hole that is experimenting with interactive fiction. This is a … 2022-07-29 :
🏘 Link:
“Fifty-year mortgages that you pass on to your children – the new plan to boost home ownership” 2022-07-30 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget was OUTRAGED to see this total stranger tabby cat taking a jaunty walk through her yard! The other cat was VERY … 2022-07-30 :
🖥 Link:
“Bonfire’s latest trick shows Google+ circles came a decade early” by Doug Belshaw 2022-07-31 :
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“Melbourne’s Fitzroy hides a past as a hub for the Aboriginal civil rights movement” 2022-08-01 : ❤️ Like of:
““Creating Content”” by Chris Hannah 2022-08-01 :
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“I would prefer not to” 2022-08-02 :
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“Every internet video (in 2003)” 2022-08-02 :
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“Blockade Australia climate activist can’t use encrypted apps, must let police access phone” 2022-08-02 :
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“A Russian Sociologist Explains Why Putin’s War Is Going Even Worse Than It Looks” 2022-08-03 : 🐱 Micro post:
That feeling of power you get when your cat has been nagging for food for three hours and you just go to the kitchen to … 2022-08-03 :
🚊 Link:
“Rewilding Cities” by Clive Thompson 2022-08-03 : ❤️ Like of:
“Do we really need private schools?” by Ben Werdmüller 2022-08-03 : 🐱 Photo post:
Today’s been a beautiful day weather-wise, sunny and 19°. I’ve been out soaking it up this afternoon, and … 2022-08-04 : 📝 Micro post:
Started a silly little CYOA story (it’s about my cat nagging me for food 😆) in Ido, using Twine, tonight. I made … 2022-08-05 : 🗒 Quick Life Updates :
Felt like I should follow up on some of the things I mentioned in posts last month and then just left hanging…
My … 2022-08-05 :
🛩 Link:
“Private Jet Use Shows Why We Must Abolish Billionaires” 2022-08-05 : 🎹 Keybuild: An (Almost) One-Year Update :
Almost a year ago, I wrote about how I used the iOS app Keybuild to make my own keyboard layout (or implement Dvorak … 2022-08-06 :
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“Confession without consequence” 2022-08-06 :
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“What would be different about a socialist economy?” 2022-08-09 :
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“‘Blood, body parts, screams’: Gaza reels after Israeli strikes” 2022-08-09 :
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“Backyard hens’ eggs contain 40 times more lead on average than shop eggs, research finds” 2022-08-09 : 🐱 Photo post:
When the weather was nice on the weekend we took Gidget for some outside time. She spent about 20 minutes on our … 2022-08-10 : 🖥 Micro post:
Thanks to @rcrackley (external link), today I received my invite to try out Arc Browser (external link)! … 2022-08-12 : 🖥 Micro post:
How are some websites just coded SO badly? I don’t understand. If I scroll through a long discussion on Discord, … 2022-08-13 :
🔍 Link:
“Ghost Markings: European Droughts Reveal Hunger Stones & Hidden Henges” 2022-08-14 :
🐶 Link:
“Farewell Fooey: Guardian of the ABC's PNG bureau, a friend to correspondents and an enemy of stray cats” 2022-08-14 :
🎮 Link:
“Cult of the Lamb’s Steam release is already exceeding expectations for this indie Australian game studio” 2022-08-15 : 🖥 Duolingo Denied Me My Achievement :
For a long time in Duolingo, I have coveted the “Finish #1 in the Diamond League” achievement. It seemed to … 2022-08-16 : 🪑 Micro post:
So excited to find out Officeworks has discovered human beings shorter than five-foot-ten exist, and now sells desks … 2022-08-17 : 📷 Photo post:
It was great being able to catch up for dinner yesterday with my childhood BFF, Urvi! It had been almost 20 years since … 2022-08-18 : 🖥 Micro post:
I gave it a solid eight days’ trial, but I’m closing Arc Browser and moving back to Vivaldi as my default … 2022-08-19 : 🐱 My New Desk Setup :
So this has taken up a lot of my energy the last couple of days: creating a new little “desk nook”!
A few … 2022-08-23 : 📷 Photo post:
I know I’ve been quiet for a few days; we had a really busy weekend (one of Viv’s cousins got married! … 2022-08-25 : 📚 Micro post:
Our local library had been closed for renovations for a while, but it’s reopened now, so Viv and I went down to … 2022-08-27 : ♿️ On Person-First Language :
I saw an article and brief discussion today on the use of person-first (e.g. “people with disabilities”) vs … 2022-08-27 :
🇿🇦 Link:
“We Should Never Forget South Africa’s Marikana Massacre” 2022-08-29 : 🐱 Photo post:
I have a bit of a backlog of Gidget photos now, but rest assured, she’s doing well 😅 She LOVES my new office chair … 2022-08-30 :
🇮🇱 Link:
“The siege is only a symptom” 2022-09-01 :
🏟 Link:
“@AFL on Twitter: New to Aussie Rules, or know someone who'd love to learn about the game?” 2022-09-02 :
🇬🇧 Link:
“How Socialists Should Think About National Independence Struggles” 2022-09-02 :
📖 Link:
“On the Origins of the Professional-Managerial Class: An Interview with Barbara Ehrenreich” 2022-09-02 : 🖥 Heroku Abolishing Free Plans :
About a week ago I got an email from Heroku, linking to this blog post (external link), telling me they’re … 2022-09-03 : 🥛 Micro post:
The shocking truth dairy farmers don’t want you to know: oat milk actually tastes better than dairy milk 😱
In all … 2022-09-04 :
📺 Link:
“Hollywood’s Insistence on New Draconian Copyright Rules Is Not About Protecting Artists” 2022-09-05 :
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“The Russian Left is Standing Against Putin’s War on Ukraine” 2022-09-05 : 🖥 Micro post:
Remember my annoyance three weeks ago when Duolingo rudely denied me the “#1 in the Diamond League” … 2022-09-05 : 🤓 Had an Eye Test Today :
Two Fridays ago, when Viv and I were driving home from a visit, I noticed that the vision in my left eye was kinda … 2022-09-06 :
🇨🇱 Link:
“The Workers Who Seized the Means of Production” 2022-09-06 :
📰 Link:
“Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò: “Oppression Is Not a Prep School”” 2022-09-06 : 🍱 Photo post:
Last night I made chicken cacciatore for dinner, working off Alexandra Wolfe’s recipe (external link). It … 2022-09-06 :
📚 Link:
“What it really means to work in the book industry” 2022-09-07 :
🇺🇸 Link:
“Injected with Plutonium” 2022-09-08 :
📰 Link:
“I’m a psychologist – and I believe we’ve been told devastating lies about mental health” 2022-09-10 :
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“‘A new way of life’: the Marxist, post-capitalist, green manifesto captivating Japan” 2022-09-10 : 🎬 Micro post:
Went to see Fight Club at a Hawthorn cinema last night, with my partner and my sister. I’d never actually seen the … 2022-09-12 :
💵 Link:
“Australia’s Unemployment System Is a Marketized, Bureaucratic Nightmare” 2022-09-12 :
🇬🇧 Link:
“Republican protesters arrested at King Charles proclamations” 2022-09-15 :
🇺🇸 Link:
“The 1929 Loray Mill Strike Was a Landmark Working-Class Struggle in the US South” 2022-09-15 :
🦠 Link:
“Imagining COVID is ‘like the flu’ is cutting thousands of lives short. It’s time to wake up” 2022-09-15 : 😮💨 All Over the Place :
Why is it that every time I let my blog go without a post for a few days, and then I think to myself, “Man, I … 2022-09-16 :
💬 Link:
“A Brief History of Dik” 2022-09-16 :
👮 Link:
“The Border Patrol Has Vast, Largely Unchecked Powers That Are Expanding” 2022-09-17 :
🎬 Link:
“I think flouting the Joker’s copyright is funny, and I’m tired of pretending it isn’t” 2022-09-17 : ❤️ Like of:
“Have I reached the Douglas Adams Inflection point (or is modern tech just a bit rubbish)?” by Terence Eden 2022-09-17 : 🐱 Photo post:
Usually I forget all about Caturday until I see all the North Americans’ Caturday posts on Sunday, but this time I … 2022-09-17 : 🏟 Micro post:
OMG that prelim final was one of the most stressful games I’ve watched 🫣 One minute longer and I’m sure … 2022-09-18 : 📱 Genuinely Small Phones in 2022 :
Prompted by a post on Micro.blog (external link), I did a bit of a deep dive into what genuinely small phones are … 2022-09-19 : 🖥 Cleaning Up My iCloud Photo Storage :
Apple emailed me overnight that I’ve used almost all the space in my iCloud storage, and that I should either … 2022-09-20 :
🏭 Link:
“The Case for Degrowth” 2022-09-20 :
🖥 Link:
“What Happens To My Digital Identity When I Die?” by Wouter Groeneveld 2022-09-21 : 🎹 Using Ukulele to Make Custom Keyboard Layouts :
“So Jess,” you might say, “last week you procrastinated on your novel by recreating half your … 2022-09-21 :
🏟 Link:
“Hawthorn racism review to allege that former coaches separated First Nations players from families and demanded a pregnancy termination” 2022-09-23 : 🎬 Thoughts on Avatar (2009) :
Last night Viv and I took his niece out to the movies (we were charged with baby-sitting, and told that seeing the … 2022-09-23 : 🦁 Photo post:
Viv and I celebrated day #2 of our four-day long weekend today by going on an excursion to Melbourne Zoo 😊 It only … 2022-09-24 : 🏟 Micro post:
It’s AFL Grand Final morning! I know not everyone cares about football, but it’s a big deal ‘round … 2022-09-24 : 🏟 Micro post:
Well… I didn’t have high expectations for the game but somehow it went even worse than I’d anticipated 🙈 Ah … 2022-09-26 : 🖥 Micro post:
Well, I succumbed to FOMO and made myself a new profile page on omg.lol (external link) 😂 I thought their new … 2022-09-27 : 🖥 Micro post:
Yay, my status.lol account (external link) works!
Still need to work out what to do with these statuses beyond … 2022-09-27 : 👩🏻 Photo post:
Got notified today that my glasses had arrived at the store, so I went to pick them up, and now, well… here I am! It … 2022-09-27 : ❤️ Like of:
“Indiepeople” by Ben Werdmüller 2022-09-27 : ✴️ Status messages:
Started using status.lol, played KoL, worked on my novel, took receipt of my new glasses, continued reading ‘Fledgling’. 2022-09-28 : 💻 Site update:
Last night I added a new statuses section to this site, where I’m gonna PESOS my status.lol posts (external … 2022-09-28 :
🚊 Link:
“Norway Wants People to Park Their EVs and Ride the Bus” 2022-09-28 : ✴️ Status messages:
Gidget antics, supermarket shopping for chicken tagine ingredients, wrote 1,223 words of my novel. 2022-09-29 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget says I can’t use my computer chair today 😢
Update: The computer chair situation has been resolved. At … 2022-09-29 :
🔍 Link:
“A belief in meritocracy is not only false: it’s bad for you” 2022-09-29 : 📚 Book review:
Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler (★★★★)2022-09-29 : ✴️ Status messages:
Finished a KoL Dino run in 3/555, Gidget antics, finished “Fledgling”, gardened, recreated flashcards in Anki. 2022-09-30 :
🎮 Link:
“‘We can continue Pratchett’s efforts’: the gamers keeping Discworld alive” 2022-09-30 :
🇮🇱 Link:
“The Queen is dead, but her colonial legacy lives on in Israel-Palestine” 2022-09-30 : 🎮 Micro post:
For the last few days I’ve been playing Idle Acorns (external link). It’s an idle/incremental game … 2022-09-30 : ✴️ Status messages:
A magpie sang me a wake-up song, started reading “Velvet Was the Night”, wrote more of my novel, went to bed early. 2022-10-01 : 🐱 Photo post:
It’s Caturday, once again! Here’s Gidget, soaking up some of today’s sunshine in our little courtyard. … 2022-10-01 : ✴️ Status messages:
Sunny morning, a beach walk and ice cream, wrote, read (or intended to). Last day before DST. 2022-10-02 :
🖥 Link:
“AI Data Laundering: How Academic and Nonprofit Researchers Shield Tech Companies from Accountability” 2022-10-02 : 👶🏻 I’m a Daylight Savings Baby :
Today’s the day daylight savings starts in Australia’s southeast. I was actually born on the day DST began … 2022-10-02 : ✴️ Status messages:
Was a cold, foggy morning but the day brightened up. My folks visited and we took Gizmo on a beach walk. 2022-10-03 : ✍🏻 My Idea for NaNoWriMo :
Yesterday, on a walk with my sister, I had an idea for how I could participate in NaNoWriMo this year.
Basically, the … 2022-10-03 : 💻 New Ido-Language Site Edition :
At long last, I can announce that the Ido-language edition of this site has been made publicly available! 🎉
I’ve … 2022-10-04 : 💬 Micro post:
There are seriously a lot of American Shavianists who are like “oh, my accent doesn’t distinguish between … 2022-10-04 : ✴️ Status messages:
Tricking Gidget into ignoring magpies 2022-10-05 : 😷 Micro post:
Probably everyone who already wore glasses when the pandemic began has talked this topic to death, but I have to say it … 2022-10-05 : ❤️ Like of:
“Not working, as a woman” by Tracy Durnell 2022-10-05 : ✴️ Status messages:
Specialist medical appointment (which went fine), read more of “Velvet Was the Night” 2022-10-05 : 🩺 Micro post:
Although I had my own medical appointments today, I also got a text from my dad with some more concerning news about … 2022-10-06 : 🇦🇺 Micro post:
The Victorian Liberals must be real nervous about the polling in their “blue-ribbon” seats in the lead-up to next … 2022-10-06 : 📚 Book review:
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (★★½)2022-10-06 : ✴️ Status messages:
Trying to catch up on the articles in my RSS reader, finished “Velvet Was the Night”, did some novel-writing 2022-10-07 : ✴️ Status messages:
Got sucked into arguing with that alt-right extremist in the Ido Discord channel, started watching the new series of … 2022-10-08 : ✴️ Status messages:
Busy day with Puratasi prayers; barely made it onto a computer all day. 2022-10-09 : ✴️ Status messages:
Anki sync screwing up my flashcards, started reading “Record of a Spaceborn Few”, celebrated my mum’s birthday 2022-10-10 : ❤️ Like of:
“In praise of small stories” by Ben Werdmüller 2022-10-10 : 🐱 Photo post:
Some recent pictures of Gidget that I liked (even though the first one is a lil’ bit unfocused). She looks like … 2022-10-11 : 🪶 Micro post:
Today Viv and I saw a bunch of ravens flying around, and trying to chase off, a drone. They were too intimidated to … 2022-10-12 : 📚 Book review:
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (★★★½)2022-10-13 : 🪶 Photo post:
Was asked for walnuts this morning by this extremely wet and bedraggled magpie (poor thing!). At least we’re not … 2022-10-13 : 🌧 Micro post:
Weird day today.
Firstly, that heavy rain has led to heavy flooding in a big chunk of the state, including around my … 2022-10-14 : 📷 Photo post:
I’ve enjoyed the photos (external link) everyone’s submitted to Micro.blog’s A Day in the Life … 2022-10-14 : ✴️ Status messages:
Started reading “The Bird King”, had a Brid.gy-related mishap, shared a drink in my old cat’s memory 2022-10-15 : ✴️ Status messages:
Gidget being a pest all morning 2022-10-15 : 🐱 Photo post:
For your Caturday viewing pleasure… here is Gidget. Birdwatching. I’d call it one of her favourite activities, but … 2022-10-17 : ✴️ Status messages:
Gidget obnoxiously demanding food all morning, resumed last year’s unfinished garden project 2022-10-18 :
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“TechScape: Tumblr and why ‘the porn-friendly era of the internet is over’” 2022-10-18 : 👨⚕️ Micro post:
Dad called me just before with an update on his health, having now seen the urologist. He definitely needs to have the … 2022-10-19 : 🖥 Arc and Orion Browsers :
It had been a couple of months since I last tried Arc Browser, so today I thought I’d give it another go. I mostly … 2022-10-20 : ✴️ Status messages:
Gidget tricked Viv into feeding her two breakfasts 2022-10-20 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
How is it the 20th of October already? I was so determined I was gonna finish “part 1” of my story and have … 2022-10-22 : 📚 Book review:
The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson (★★★½)2022-10-26 : 📚 Esperanto’s Influence on Orwell’s Newspeak :
A couple of times in recent weeks I’ve seen some discussion about Newspeak in George Orwell’s Nineteen … 2022-10-26 :
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“ABC statement on Doctor Who” 2022-10-26 :
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“Citizens’ social media can provide an antidote to propaganda and disinformation” 2022-10-26 : ✴️ Status messages:
Enjoyed a new tea flavour 2022-10-27 :
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“How to Run Scrivener on Linux” by Ian Betteridge 2022-10-27 : 📷 Photo post:
This is the birthday card Viv got me this year. He left it in the fridge on top of my lunch for the day 🤣 I have to say, … 2022-10-28 : ❤️ Like of:
“Dear Elon Musk” by Manton Reece 2022-10-28 : 🧈 Micro post:
So I somehow, accidentally, bought this shit type of butter which is less than 50% actual butter, according to the … 2022-10-28 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
Well, this last part felt excruciatingly like pulling teeth, but FINALLY I think I’ve finished this draft of … 2022-10-29 : 🐱 Photo post:
Busy day ahead, so I wanted to make sure to get my Caturday photo out there before I forgot (again)! 😅 Here’s … 2022-10-29 :
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“Welcome to hell, Elon” 2022-10-29 :
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“First-ever study shows bumble bees ‘play’” 2022-10-31 : ❤️ Like of:
“We need our politicians to commit to change if we’re gonna get through climate change” by Tracy Durnell 2022-10-31 :
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“4 Twitter features Mastodon is better for not having” by Scott Feeney 2022-10-31 : 💻 Micro post:
In a move that wasn’t procrastinating on outlining my novel for NaNoWriMo which starts tomorrow AT ALL, I wrote up … 2022-10-31 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
NaNoWriMo starts in 4 minutes and so far I’ve outlined… about 25% of my project 😅 It’s gonna be a crazy … 2022-10-31 : ✴️ Status messages:
Upgraded laptop to macOS Ventura, frantically outlining ahead of NaNoWriMo 2022-11-01 :
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“Is It Time to Rethink the Rules of Fanfiction?” 2022-11-01 : ✴️ Status messages:
Started NaNoWriMo, walks interrupted by lousy weather, visited my family before Dad’s surgery tomorrow 2022-11-02 : 🏥 Micro post:
My dad went into hospital this morning to have surgery to remove his left kidney, because of a large tumour inside it … 2022-11-02 : ✴️ Status messages:
NaNoWriMo progress, visited Dad in hospital 2022-11-03 : ✴️ Status messages:
Drank tea at my folks’ house while trying to write for NaNoWriMo 2022-11-04 : ✴️ Status messages:
Visited Dad in hospital, set my now-scarcely-used Twitter account to private, wrote for NaNoWriMo 2022-11-05 : 🪶 Photo post:
Was about to go to the chemist just before when these three magpies mobbed me on the front porch, demanding walnuts 😂 … 2022-11-05 : 🐱 Photo post:
For this week’s Caturday, have a picture of my neighbour’s cat, Emma! When I went on a walk before, she was … 2022-11-05 : ✴️ Status messages:
Took public transport to visit Dad in hospital, strained eyes not wearing glasses, NaNoWriMo 2022-11-06 : ✴️ Status messages:
NaNoWriMo, visited Dad, then my mum 2022-11-07 : 🗒 Micro post:
Some people seem very all-or-nothing. Everything’s either the best thing ever, or the worst ever. Things have to … 2022-11-07 : 🐱 Photo post:
So how’s the writing been going today? Well. Every single time I’ve thought about starting, suddenly my view … 2022-11-07 : ✴️ Status messages:
Visited Dad 2022-11-08 : 🗒 Micro post:
Remember the first two days of NaNoWriMo, when I was like, “I’m gonna stay away from social media until I … 2022-11-08 : ✴️ Status messages:
Hayfever, trying Orion Browser, visited Dad, NaNoWriMo 2022-11-09 :
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“I’d like apologies for robodebt, but I really want Australia to abandon punitive welfare” 2022-11-09 : 🚊 Micro post:
The PTV app really makes it inordinately difficult to just go, “Hey. This stop where I’m standing right now? … 2022-11-09 : ✴️ Status messages:
Issues with Orion Browser, Dad on track to be discharged, NaNoWriMo 2022-11-10 :
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“The End of the Road to Serfdom” by Cory Doctorow 2022-11-10 :
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“There’s one big subject our leaders at Cop27 won’t touch: livestock farming” 2022-11-10 : ✴️ Status messages:
Dad home from hospital, underwhelming NaNoWriMo today but tomorrow I get to write a good part! 2022-11-11 : ✴️ Status messages:
Wrote 3,125 words in NaNoWriMo 2022-11-12 : 🐱 Photo post:
Iiiiit’s Caturday! For today’s post, here’s Gidget and my partner Viv together. She was having fun … 2022-11-12 :
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“The company that bulldozed this sacred Aboriginal site had a year to apologise. It didn't” 2022-11-12 : ❤️ Like of:
“Which projects are worth doing? How to evaluate creative ideas and decide whether to spend your time on them” by Tracy Durnell 2022-11-12 :
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“No more drinking water, little food: our island is a field of bones” 2022-11-12 :
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“Court orders threaten native timber logging in Victoria, industry says” 2022-11-12 : ✴️ Status messages:
Caught up to where I should be in NaNoWriMo! And browsed my downloaded Twitter archive. 2022-11-13 :
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“Leaked audio reveals Queensland police staff in racist conversations, joking about violence to black people and protestors” 2022-11-13 :
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“NSW police ‘Strike Force Guard III’ formed to silence threats to fossil fuel driven political order” 2022-11-13 : ✍🏻 NaNoWriMo, Day 13 :
Overall, I’ve had a tough NaNoWriMo so far. On top of real life making it difficult to find the time for the first … 2022-11-13 : 🐶 Photo post:
The last few times I’ve visited, Gizmo’s been resolutely determined NOT to let me capture his beautiful grin … 2022-11-14 :
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“Canada will soon allow medically assisted dying for mental illness. Has there been enough time to get it right?” 2022-11-14 :
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“Australia could free a third of its prisoners with little risk to community, new research finds” 2022-11-14 :
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“Wild boars in Palestine are being weaponized by Israeli colonialism” 2022-11-14 :
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“Boys handcuffed, held down by guards and sat on in dangerous youth detention ‘folding’ restraint” 2022-11-15 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
For all my worries in the last few days about how tough the writing was going to get once I reached the next part of my … 2022-11-15 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget is very happy I “remembered” how to turn the heater on today! 😆 (In reality, we’ve just had … 2022-11-15 :
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“Cairns family facing deportation after son is diagnosed with autism” 2022-11-16 : 🐱 Micro post:
Guess whose cat just decided to knock something off the chest of drawers next to my desk straight into my cup of tea, … 2022-11-17 :
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“Home Affairs department ‘accidentally’ sent letters telling asylum seekers to leave Australia, minister says” 2022-11-17 : 💬 Micro post:
One neat thing I’ve noticed as I’ve worked at learning to read Shavian is how my experience has mirrored … 2022-11-18 :
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“Electric vehicle shift alone will not solve urban transport woes, says Portuguese minister” 2022-11-18 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
As far as NaNoWriMo goes, I had a few above-par productive days, and then a couple of below-par days. Yesterday I ran … 2022-11-19 : 🐱 Photo post:
Vivian bought Gidget a bowtie. It just clips on to a collar, or Gidget’s harness when she’s wearing that. … 2022-11-19 : ✴️ Status messages:
Only wrote 500ish words for NaNoWriMo, then went to bed early with a headache 2022-11-20 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
I meant to get something like this up a little earlier in the month, so you’d have some idea of what my NaNoWriMo … 2022-11-20 :
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“Staying warm: What does an unheated room do to your body?” 2022-11-20 : ✴️ Status messages:
Back on track in NaNoWriMo! (Again!) 2022-11-20 :
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“Freedom and Creative Vitality in a Market Society: Ursula K. Le Guin on Saving Books from Profiteering and Commodification” 2022-11-21 :
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“Why women aren’t from Venus, and men aren’t from Mars” 2022-11-21 : 🖥 On Mastodon and Algorithms :
As you’re quite likely aware, there’s currently a massive explosion going on in the number of active … 2022-11-21 : ✴️ Status messages:
Horrible weather 2022-11-22 :
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“There Is No “Migrant Crisis”” 2022-11-23 : 🍱 Micro post:
Experimented today by cooking a “chicken” quesadilla with “chicken free strips” (textured wheat & soy protein). End … 2022-11-23 :
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“Joe Hill Was Killed For Singing Labor’s Song” 2022-11-24 : 🐱 Photo post:
Gidget’s not usually the “resolute thief” kind of cat but apparently when it’s OAT YOGHURT, … 2022-11-24 :
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“That siren-imitating lyrebird at Taronga Zoo? He lost his song culture – and absorbed some of ours” 2022-11-24 :
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“It’s Not Antisemitic to Oppose Israel’s Apartheid Rule Over the Palestinians” 2022-11-24 : 🗒 Micro post:
So I just had to get a blood test done (for very mundane, routine reasons) and I almost fuckin’ FAINTED 😫 I knew … 2022-11-25 :
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“Thanksgiving thoughts” by Chris Arnade 2022-11-25 :
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“Actually, You Shouldn’t Offer Help in Someone Else’s Kitchen” 2022-11-25 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
I don’t think I’ve ever had a NaNoWriMo before where I’ve hewed so closely to the exact word target … 2022-11-25 : ✴️ Status messages:
Rain even though the forecast said 0% chance of rain 2022-11-26 : 🇦🇺 Micro post:
Well, Viv and I have voted in the Victorian state election. In the upper house I voted BTL, with the Victorian … 2022-11-26 : 🐱 Photo post:
How is anyone supposed to resist when she looks as cute as this?! The answer is… you’re not meant to 🙂 Happy … 2022-11-26 : ✴️ Status messages:
Wrote my NaNoWriMo daily quota 2022-11-27 :
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“The push and pull of cheating at university: ‘No one knows what cheating is any more’” 2022-11-27 : 🗒 Micro post:
After my bad experience a few days ago, today I’m getting recurring “shocks” in my arm, running down … 2022-11-29 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
Had a pretty bad NaNoWriMo day yesterday, and given how late it is in the month that means I now need to write 4.5k … 2022-11-30 :
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“‘Y’all,’ that most Southern of Southernisms, is going mainstream – and it’s about time” 2022-11-30 :
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“Lashon Hara – Director’s Cut HD Remaster” by Shel 2022-11-30 :
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“The Spectacular Life of Octavia Butler” 2022-11-30 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
I really need things to be intrinsically rewarding, or else I leave them to the last second I possibly can. So … 2022-12-01 :
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“Stop using ‘Latinx’ if you really want to be inclusive” 2022-12-01 : 🎬 Micro post:
I’m starting a rewatch of the “new” Doctor Who (2005 onwards). My tentative plan is 1–2 episodes a day … 2022-12-02 :
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“Don’t Just Create One Big Story, Build a Mosaic of Tiny Stories!” by Charlie Jane Anders 2022-12-03 : 🐱 Photo post:
Happy Caturday, everyone! Here’s a photo of Gidget, looking very comfortable indeed as she soaks up belly rubs … 2022-12-04 :
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“‘Proud of my community’: youth crime drops dramatically in Groote Eylandt” 2022-12-04 : ✴️ Status messages:
Watched the Doctor Who episode ‘The Uniquiet Dead’ 2022-12-05 :
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“Could the Blackfoot Wisdom That Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?” 2022-12-05 :
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“Where women were cloaked in shame” 2022-12-05 : ✴️ Status messages:
Watched the Doctor Who episode ‘Aliens of London’ 2022-12-06 :
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“Jessica Hart’s 5-year-old was killed by a car while riding her bike in DC. Now Hart is fighting for safer streets.” 2022-12-07 :
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“A moment of global darkness on December 6” 2022-12-07 : 💻 Site update:
Today I added a search feature to this website, following the instructions of this tutorial (external link) then … 2022-12-08 :
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“I wrote a story for a friend” by Julian Gough 2022-12-09 :
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“The dwindling promise of popular uprisings in the Middle East” 2022-12-09 :
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“Violet Coco: Climate activist’s jailing ignites row in Australia” 2022-12-10 :
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“Māori are trying to save their language from Big Tech” 2022-12-11 : 🐱 Photo post:
I didn’t completely forget about Caturday yesterday, but I did forget to upload a picture 🙈 Nonetheless, … 2022-12-11 :
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“Argentina’s World Cup 1978: When FIFA Backed a Junta” 2022-12-12 : 🐶 Photo post:
It had been a while since the previous time, because my Dad needed to recover from his operation and then last week … 2022-12-12 :
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“There is a decision being made about you in this box, but you’re not allowed to look inside” 2022-12-12 :
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“New psychology research provides unique insight into the nature of extraordinary altruism” 2022-12-12 :
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“Peru rises up after coup against elected President Pedro Castillo” 2022-12-13 : ✍🏻 Micro post:
Today I actually dared to reread my novel (well, two novels? I reread part 1 and then my NaNoWriMo draft of part 2). … 2022-12-14 :
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“Degrowth can work—here’s how science can help” 2022-12-14 : ✴️ Status messages:
VERY COLD weather in summer 2022-12-15 : 🗒 Micro post:
Yesterday I went to my folks’ house to catch up with my cousin and his wife, who are visiting from Seattle for a … 2022-12-16 : 📷 Photo post:
We’ve made it up to Daylesford, where Viv and I are going to spend a couple of nights 😊 Just relaxing a little now … 2022-12-16 : 📷 Photo post:
Our first activity this afternoon: we went to Hepburn Distillery, tried some delicious types of gin, and enjoyed a game … 2022-12-17 : 📷 Photo post:
After gin and chess yesterday afternoon, Viv and I took a walk up to the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens to check that … 2022-12-17 : 📷 Photo post:
We’ve spent the afternoon at the Hepburn Springs Brewings Co. premises 😅 Their playlist consists of too many … 2022-12-18 : 📷 Home from Daylesford :
Viv and I are home from our little trip! So, I thought I should post some photos from all the stuff we did that I … 2022-12-20 : 🪶 Micro post:
I mentioned that the magpies haven’t been coming by here so often recently. Today I saw one possible explanation … 2022-12-21 :
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“Over the holidays, try talking to your relatives like an anthropologist” 2022-12-22 : 🐶 Photo post:
Yesterday Viv and I went to babysit (or hang out with, really; she’s pretty responsible) Viv’s niece. What … 2022-12-24 : 📚 Micro post:
I bought Tom Ballard’s I, Millennial as a Christmas present for my mum this year, and I’m now frantically … 2022-12-25 : 📷 Photo post:
Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! Last night Viv and I went on our customary Christmas Eve walk to check … 2022-12-27 : ❤️ Like of:
“They Don’t Only Take Our Labor” by Tracy Durnell 2022-12-30 : ❤️ Like of:
“sup” by Drew Schuster 2022-12-30 : 🎬 Micro post:
Viv and I saw the second “Avatar” movie today (The Way of Water). We liked it, it was good, very beautiful … 2022-12-31 : 📺 Micro post:
I meant to point this out the other day, but I’ve finished series 1 in my Doctor Who rewatch, so my series 1 wiki … 2022-12-31 :
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“The Downfall of Andrew Tate Isn’t Just Deliciously Ironic. It’s Also Vitally Important.” 2022-12-31 : ✴️ Status messages:
Watched ‘The Christmas Invasion’
Jessica Smith is a socialist and a feminist who loves animals, books, gaming, and cooking; she’s also interested in linguistics, history, technology and society.
Jessica Smith is a socialist and a feminist who loves animals, books, gaming, and cooking; she’s also interested in linguistics, history, technology and society.