@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

iskandarv

@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk

software developer, science fiction fan, Quaker, somewhat distracted by family life, he/him
Perth, living on Whadjuk country, Australia

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

timrichards, to food
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Some nice choices here in a "instead of" format, eg "instead of France try Georgia". I must get to Georgia (Europe) one day.

The world’s most underrated countries for food

(maybe paywalled) https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/the-world-s-most-underrated-countries-for-food-20240419-p5fl3s.html

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards Great format. I had some lovely Georgian food from a local pop-up restaurant when we were living in Reading. After that and hearing coverage of the wine and feasting culture on the radio, Georgia is high on the list of places that I’d like to visit.

timrichards, to flying
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Interesting read. IMO you can tell it's by a British writer from this para (I'm picturing a booze-soaked EasyJet flight to somewhere hot):

"Typically, alcohol consumption and the behavioural tendencies of different cultures under its influence are the primary threats to a peaceful flight. Passengers on some routes are infamous for drinking."

Flight attendant reveals how crew deal with aggressive passengers

(maybe paywalled) https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/flight-attendant-reveals-how-crew-deal-with-aggressive-passengers-20240320-p5fduo.html

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards I’d go with that. Certainly it was a normal part of the holiday experience for many of my UK friends to fill the time between check-in and boarding at the airport pub “getting relaxed”.

timrichards, to auspol
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Caught some video footage of Anthony Albanese shaking hands with voters at the Dunkley by-election. We must be doing something right as a nation if the Prime Minister can rock up to a polling booth and chat to random strangers without anyone being too worried about his safety. Good to see.

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards It is charming, and he obviously doesn’t need to try very hard to be able to talk to ordinary people. On that note I had no clue quite how many assassination attempts were made on Queen Victoria https://mulberryhall.medium.com/odd-this-day-71fc1fc42092

Robotron, to random

this is the kinda fancy menu for the murder mystery thing - all I'm gonna do is hork down the sloppy joe sliders. gimmie 8 of those.

fuck . i'm gonna need those drinks i am thinking

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@Robotron Maybe a margarita in each hand to start off with?

timrichards, to australia
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

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.

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards We were discussing this yesterday. It is as meaningless as the King’s official birthday. Just an arbitrary date as far as WA is concerned. However should Australia declare itself a republic then a unifying date of independence would conveniently be created.

kissane, to random
@kissane@mas.to avatar

We did all the shopping but put off the feast in favor of snacks and amazing leftover fried rice and spending more time together on Christmas Day, so today I’m unhurriedly making Elizabeth David’s Cumberland sauce while the ham bakes and video games happen nearby. David’s books are such an ideal blend of erudition and lazy wit, she’s my favorite.

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@kissane Her book on bread making is a sheer pleasure to read.

iskandarv, to random
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

Saw this in the other place and thought of @timrichards Have you got a copy?

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

It was amazingly noisy in the Melbourne CBD last night. Big "last days of Rome" energy as the festive season approaches...

rome GIF

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards For me it always depended on how much annual leave I had left for the calendar year. Often by the time December came I had used so much during the year that I just had enough remaining to take off the three working days between Christmas and New Year. Which would force me to work up to and including Christmas Eve. We had strict policies about not carrying annual leave over or being recompensed for unused leave so there was no point in hoarding days.

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

I like this design, very simple.

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards Yup dictionaries online says derived from the Latin for 'Persian apple'

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

I think pretty much, yeah. I have a good compact digital camera that shoots hi-res photos, which I haven't used now for years. The photos from my iPhone are great. ---
Has the phone camera killed the standalone camera? https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/has-the-phone-camera-killed-the-standalone-camera-20231027-p5efh6.html

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards I read this (link follows) yesterday. Aimed at professionals, really goes along with the idea that only hobbyists and pros will keep using dedicated camera equipment. https://www.thephoblographer.com/2022/10/08/are-digital-cameras-done-for-thanks-to-new-smartphone-tech/

brainwane, to random
@brainwane@social.coop avatar

New long blog post: Eldercare, Family Caretaking, and End-of-life Logistics: Stuff I Learned

http://harihareswara.net/posts/2023/eldercare-family-caretaking-end-of-life-logistics-learned/

Topics:

You HAVE to take care of yourself

Changes to expect in the months/weeks/days before death

Checklists for before & just after death

Wills, powers of attorney, & advance health care directives

Easy-to-eat food; letting your friends help you

Hospital chaplains can do a lot

Patient advocacy (catching mistakes)

Medical notetaking at appointments and the bedside

[1/n]

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@brainwane That is good timing for me. Thank you for sharing.

timrichards, (edited ) to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

This Optus outage probably points to the advisability of having two different Internet sources, one via NBN and one via mobile. I have iiNet NBN at home and Telstra 5G on my phone, so I assume they wouldn't crash at the same time. (And if they did, we'd have bigger things to worry about, like an alien invasion.)

iskandarv,
@iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

@timrichards Yeah rather glad our ISP uses a different backbone. Pity people with Optus & Aussie Broadband.

Robotron, to random

deleted_by_author

    •
    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @Robotron Ouch. Hope it passes quickly.

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    On reflection I think one of the reasons I like the resurgence of zero-alcohol beers is that it provides a nonalcoholic drink that's neither sweet nor laced with caffeine. Much needed. There's only so much horrid syrupy post-mix one can endure.

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards I enjoy kombucha when it is available for the same reasons. Not too sweet, has some bitterness, and the tea gives it some complexity to the taste buds.

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Surely they've suffered enough.

    Wake up, Bunbury: The Wiggles demand council stop blaring Hot Potato 24/7 at homeless http://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wake-up-bunbury-the-wiggles-demand-council-stop-blaring-hot-potato-24-7-at-homeless-20231102-p5eh67.html

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards Interesting that the journalist did not manage to find anyone other than the “perpetrator” to support the practice. Possibly those who do were wise enough to stay schtum.

    timrichards, to melbourne
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Interesting idea, it's certainly well located.

    Horses and homes: The residential future of Melbourne’s racetracks. Flemington Racecourse housing development could form part of housing crisis fix. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/horses-and-homes-the-residential-future-of-melbourne-s-racetracks-20231024-p5eekf.html

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards That’s certainly the development pattern in parts of London. Old race courses were infilled with housing and racing increased at courses on the outskirts. At Norbury train station in south London you can still see the ramps that horses were walked up in the 1800s when the area featured racing. Now you’d head further out to Epsom or Ascot instead.

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    I wish I would learn not to drop into Chemist Warehouse to fill prescriptions at LUNCHTIME. So busy. And I'm a freelancer, I could go there anytime.

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards You could. Ours is open until 8pm, so I often pop there after dinner.

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    These parcels like to see the world, don't they?

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards Ours do not. They seem to spend an awful long time at the processing facilities in NSW or VIC, waiting for the next Pony Express rider who is prepared to make the long and arduous journey to the other coast.

    timrichards, to auspol
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Well that's something at least. My seat was very YES.

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards Ours was not. A lot of people who”don’t want to visit the USA while Biden is in charge and will wait for Trump to get back in”. Enough said.

    timrichards, to mastodon
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Who do I talk to to get the Mastodon website scrollbar made wider and more visible? Its accessibility is not good.

    cc @Gargron

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards @Gargron I just switched preferences to "high contrast". Did it help? Not at all.

    timrichards, to Instagram
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Ugh I hate autoplay on Instagram. In fact I struggle to understand what anyone sees in Instagram - it's just a flood of ads and video and text screenshots. Where are the photos?

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards Repeatedly I get notifications from someone I'm interested in, open instagram and then fail to find the thing I was notified about. Then I give up for another week. Lots of friends only use that for their socials though.

    timrichards, to melbourne
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Just used the middle subway at Richmond Station and it was a journey into the past. I don't think those tiles have changed since the station was rebuilt for the 1956 Olympics. My Nanna used to have ceramic vases in that colour.

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards My grandmother had a mug in that same shade. Think I e got the matching pink one somewhere.

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    One of the best things about growing older is the lowered need to buy stuff at Christmas. Personally I just enjoy catching up with friends over the festive season.

    Christmas sales tipped to start early as cost of living pressure bites and shoppers bank on bargains

    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/bargain-hunting-to-heat-up-as-christmas-shopping-starts-early-20230918-p5e5gg.html

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards We were enjoying seeing displays of both Halloween and Christmas tat out at the same time in Kmart, BigW etc. Would like more mashups of the two.

    timrichards, to Travel
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    I've yet to understand how charging an entry fee of €5 would deter anyone, after they've paid thousands just to get there. Maybe €50 would do it, though if I was designing a system to reduce visitor numbers I'd go for a free lottery.

    Venice is planning to charge tourists $8 a day to visit. Here's why https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-13/venice-is-planning-to-charge-tourists-8-dollar-a-day-to-visit/102844986

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards As a comparison, that is less than the entry fee to get in to Monkey Mia. Maybe it is the most they could get away with given the presumably torn feelings of local business people? Of course they could just double it every year until it reduces numbers by the desired amount.

    timrichards, to australia
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Is the Swooping Season upon us? Anyone been swooped by magpies yet? I think I was mini-swooped by a bird in a park in Collingwood last week; gave that space a wider berth next time I walked through it.

    iskandarv,
    @iskandarv@mastodon.star-one.org.uk avatar

    @timrichards Looks like it. Lots of sites marked on here for 2023 already. Thankfully not happened to me yet this season. https://www.magpiealert.com/

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