@timrichards@aus.social
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timrichards

@timrichards@aus.social

Travel writer living and working on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne, Australia. Rail travel expert, current books on sale include Heading South and Ultimate Train Journeys: World. See my published writing at iwriter.com.au.

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timrichards, to random
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That's odd. The UK election is being held on the USA's Independence Day, while the US election is being held on the UK's Guy Fawkes Night.

Don’t know if we can draw anything from that, but it's curious...

timrichards, (edited ) to australia
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Hard to feel sympathetic for the supermarket chains when they do this:

"... they – along with other supermarket chains – continue to throw out vast volumes of stock. As Banducci told media last week, theft was just 'one of the components [of] stock loss'.

On a recent trip to the loading zone at my local Woolies in Sydney, the bins were so heavy I struggled to move them. One was completely full of sourdough loaves and other baked goods – all of them still soft and fresh. Dumped into the other bins were bananas, oranges, mandarins, avocados, tomatoes, punnets of apples, eggplants, organic green beans, bundles of asparagus, green capsicums, 2kg bags of washed potatoes, mushrooms, various fancy cheeses, 5kg packets of basmati rice, muesli bars, cartons of a dozen eggs, tubs of yoghurt and long-life milk – all in edible condition."

Instead of pursuing shoplifters, the big supermarkets should use their record profits to prevent food waste - Drew Rooke https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/04/instead-of-pursuing-shoplifters-the-big-supermarkets-should-use-their-record-profits-to-prevent-food-waste

timrichards, to mastodon
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Artists of Mastodon!

I have a cartoonist friend who wants to join Mastodon and would appreciate advice on the most appropriate instance. He's a cartoonist who draws a regular comic strip with anthropomorphic (ie animal-based) characters, following the life of a country doctor.

Could you suggest any instances which might best suit him? He could of course join aus.social or another Australian server (he's based in Melbourne), but I thought perhaps an instance serving artists or specifically cartoonists might be a good idea. What do you think?

(Would appreciate any boosts to pass this request to a wider audience.)

timrichards, to auspol
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Today is the last day you can enrol to vote before the Voice to Parliament referendum on 14 October. Here's the link to do so - please pass it on!

Enrol to vote - Australian Electoral Commission

https://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/

timrichards, to random
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Off on this gorgeous outback train for an excursion today. They don't make them like this anymore.

#Longreach #train #Trains #outback

timrichards, to Europe
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Now free for all to read... I've recently become more aware of accessibility while travelling. Then, after facing too many steps in Europe's Metros, I had a revelation:

Lift or escalator? There's a difference when travelling https://www.patreon.com/posts/lift-or-theres-90502303

timrichards, to random
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My god. If you can't get an excellent sitcom out of that, you're not trying.

Or a drama series? Underbelly: Soft Serve.

timrichards, to sydney
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Door seen in a corridor of my Sydney hotel. Discuss.

timrichards, (edited ) to melbourne
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Melbourne Mastodon Meetup!

@mike, @ThermiteBeGiants, @NarrelleMHarris and I would like to get together IRL for some drinks, and you're all invited...

On: Thursday 18 January, from 6pm
At: The Quiet Man pub, 271 Racecourse Road, Kensington
PT: Newmarket Station or Tram 57 (Stop 24).

We can meet for a drink in the front bar, and there'll be a table booked in the dining room from 6.30pm. (Find menu etc here: https://www.thequietman.com.au/)

If you can definitely make it, could you let me know by replying below? Then I can get the numbers right when booking the table.

See you there! (Please boost for reach)

#Melbourne #Australia #Meetup

timrichards, to random
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Have to say this... "lay" has a different meaning from "lie". You don't "lay around" on the sofa, you "lie around".

"Lay" is transitive, ie it is connected to an object. So you lay a coat on a chair, or you lay a towel on the sand. Then you lie on it.

This has been a public service broadcast from Vocab Pedants United. :)

timrichards, to random
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Good piece from the Traveller editor, bemoaning the lack of rail investment which has led to the Sydney-Melbourne air route being one of the busiest in the world.

The Sydney-Melbourne route is one of the world’s busiest. It’s also hellish https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/the-sydney-melbourne-route-is-one-of-the-world-s-busiest-it-s-also-hellish-20240101-p5eujr.html

timrichards, to serbia
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A new piece by me for Traveller - in which I ride in a communist-era Yugo car to explore the remnants of vanished Yugoslavia in Belgrade, Serbia:

Touring Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia – drive into the past of a vanished European nation https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/drive-into-the-past-of-this-vanished-european-nation-20231009-p5eawb.html

timrichards, (edited ) to melbourne
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We have some lovely "iron lace" decorating terrace houses in inner-city Melbourne - these Fitzroy ones have a dash of patterned-brick flair as well.

Interestingly, there's not a lot of this decorative cast-iron left in the UK, because it was donated in WWI to be used for ammunition. Or so I've heard.

timrichards, to Israel
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Coverage sympathetic to Palestinians! It can happen, apparently.

Israel/Palestine: This Israeli army commander now organises Free Palestine rallies in Melbourne

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/he-was-an-israeli-soldier-in-gaza-now-he-s-organising-free-palestine-rallies-20231011-p5ebhk.html

timrichards, to random
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Seeing the is still in progress in Europe and North America, here are my books currently on sale:

  1. Heading South. This travel narrative covers an epic train journey I took around the Australian continent, from Far North Queensland to Western Australia. See https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/products/heading-south Buy online or order from your local bookstore.

  2. Ultimate Train Journeys: World. This coffee table book features 30 great train journeys across the globe, with colourful photos accompanying my writing. https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/ultimate-train-journeys_-world-by-tim-richards/9781741177350 Buy online or order from your local bookstore.

  3. The Kick of Stalin's Cow. This self-published book tells the story of one of my journeys across Poland, seeking relics from the communist era. Available from Amazon as an ebook and paperback: https://amzn.to/475yCqU

  4. Mind the Gap. My fantasy thriller novel involving Egyptology, underground railways, and parallel worlds. Available as ebook across all platforms. https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460704028/mind-the-gap/

Enjoy!

Cover of Ultimate Train Journeys: World, featuring a woman sitting in a train seat looking out at the countryside.
Cover of The Kick of Stalin's Cow, featuring a statue of Lenin at an angle.
Cover of Mind the Gap, featuring a London underground sign against a backdrop of Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into stone.

timrichards, to Trains
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Here we go! I'm off to Perth on the Indian Pacific, two days through the desert and lots of lazy time reading and eating. :) Will write this experience up next week at my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards

timrichards, to australia
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A passing thought while I'm in Western Australia...

WA was never part of New South Wales, so 26 January 1788 - Sydney's foundation day - can have no meaning for it per se.

The only significance 26 January can have for this part of Australia is a celebration of the arrival of white settlers on the continent. So nothing to do with the modern nation state of Australia, and everything to do with white supremacy.

It really won't do as the date for a unifying national day.

timrichards, to Trains
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As I'm crossing the Nullarbor Plain aboard the Indian Pacific on Australia Day - I present you with a suggestion for a new Australian flag:

timrichards, to Trains
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Now free for all to read... I caught the Overland train from Melbourne to Adelaide - passing attractive scenery and historic stations on the way. The food was good too!

Overland to Adelaide - by train https://www.patreon.com/posts/97019550

timrichards, to australia
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Happy New Year from Melbourne, Australia! We had a great view of the fireworks from our apartment. IMO 2023 was a good year - way better than its three immediate predecessors - and I'm looking forward to 2024 too. May it be a good year for you all.

Fireworks shooting from tall office towers in central Melbourne.
Fireworks shooting from the NAB building in central Melbourne.

timrichards, to melbourne
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Saw this smol dog scattered in autumn leaves outside the Malthouse Theatre this morning. Camouflage!

cc @NarrelleMHarris

timrichards, to random
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Nice. Now do one of the big battleground states, that would be entertaining.

US votes 2024: Maine bars Donald Trump from ballot

#USpol https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/maine-bars-donald-trump-from-2024-ballot-20231229-p5eu5x.html

timrichards, to Israel
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You know the best way to avoid indictment for crimes against humanity? Don’t commit them. It's really not that hard.

Israel-Hamas war: ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas leaders

https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/icc-prosecutor-seeks-arrest-warrant-for-israeli-and-hamas-leaders-including-netanyahu-20240520-p5jf7w.html

timrichards, to hongkong
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Some cool street art I saw in Hong Kong in 2017. It's quite small, just above the steps.

timrichards, to melbourne
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In case you missed it the other day, here's my Melbourne tram > beach > restaurant guide...

How to do Melbourne’s beaches by tram https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/inspiration/how-to-do-melbourne-s-beaches-by-tram-20231218-p5es93.html

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