Nostr notes by Zeborah

Nostr event nevent1qqst0x0kcha5aacy4l5qfwjduvuue7v2x8zfnhn4856ask63vlmur6qzypvwsq4654hx0hhf8df03ee4zrsk8jlegjzzw7705l3sjewgw6gtjaap6pf

2026-10-21T09:27:57Z

Overhead, without any fuss, the php servers were going out.

"'You go in there and see an avocado for $3, and next ...

2026-10-20T06:14:00Z

"'You go in there and see an avocado for $3, and next week you go in and it’s $5. It’s just not sustainable,' he said.

The rising cost of fresh produce had forced Arnold and his wife to reconsider some purchases, such as peppers, because they had become too expensive."

I'm not denying that the cost-of-living:income ratio is appalling and if they were complaining about the cost of carrots or apples or other things that usually store pretty well so are less seasonal, I'd be pretty sympathetic.

But I don't understand how a couple can get to retirement age without noticing that the price of avocados varies from week to week and that [presumably bell] peppers aren't always affordable. I too love red capsicums! But I've never in my life dreamed of trying to buy one in *spring*. Next minute they'll be complaining about the price of strawberries in mid-winter.

I feel like the government needs to overhaul the curriculum again and make sure everyone gets an hour a day learning how crops work.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361048752/no-supergold-discounts-south-islands-largest-woolworths

The downside of letting nettles grow for the red admirals is when ...

2026-10-14T05:17:30Z

The downside of letting nettles grow for the red admirals is when they creep a little bit too close to your celery.

Who's the complete numpty who has once again managed to ...

2026-09-29T05:29:45Z

Who's the complete numpty who has *once again* managed to bake an entire double-batch of scones and then taken a single bite before realising that she absentmindedly put in baking soda instead of baking powder, and will now have to throw the whole lot out in the green bin tonight?

Impressed the pharmacist by getting my eleventh Covid vaccine ...

2026-09-10T03:34:10Z

Impressed the pharmacist by getting my eleventh Covid vaccine today.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@glyph/117182765138599874 This is a ...

2026-08-30T07:28:04Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@glyph/117182765138599874

This is a good explainer of why so many sites are having to put captchas in front of their content or do other things that make it harder for humans to access, or alternatively just crash sometimes because the systems are overwhelmed.

One of our sites at work is a booking calendar - you have to log in to see details about who's booked into what, but if someone makes a booking it shows publically as unavailable. So the bots see that the page is regularly changing (in this tiny, useless-to-bots way) so they regularly request it in order to scrape the latest 'version'. Over and over and over and over. Just mindless nonsense.

"it’s wise to get your [lemon tree] pruning done before ...

2026-08-29T04:47:39Z

"it’s wise to get your [lemon tree] pruning done before spring fully arrives (if you live in a frosty area, wait until the chance of frost has passed before pruning)"

What. This is unpossible. Spring has clearly fully arrived -- the daffodils are out, the elder is in leaf, plums and peaches are starting to blossom (and I spotted a tauhou drinking plum nectar btw), it's super warm, all the birds are building nests and pairing up -- but every gardening website agrees there's always a chance of frost until Labour Day. If not later.

Linear time is so limiting. I simply want to be able to sit down ...

2026-08-29T00:22:53Z

Linear time is so limiting. I simply want to be able to sit down and work on the book I'm writing while also reading the book from the library and pruning trees and planting out potatoes and making a friend's birthday present and starting a new craft idea and finishing at least one of the in-progress craft projects. Is this really too much to ask?

Does anyone understand fonts/etc in #LibreOffice Calc? I've ...

2026-08-24T20:18:47Z

Does anyone understand fonts/etc in #LibreOffice Calc?

I've got a spreadsheet that's ended up with a mixture of different fonts/sizes in different cells. But if I select all and change the font or size or even colour, only some cells change while the others stay the same. It's like their style is locked somehow.

What on earth is happening and how do I fix it?

Nostr event nevent1qqs20pynxwsjux4wgxds69m7a4yu49vmqpu4saakhnz6wtaly06wg9qzypvwsq4654hx0hhf8df03ee4zrsk8jlegjzzw7705l3sjewgw6gtjmyqzvr

2026-08-21T06:37:04Z

Which are more poorly designed:

Summary: AI isn't taking your job, it's just giving your ...

2026-08-15T23:03:00Z

Summary: AI isn't taking your job, it's just giving your boss an excuse to give you more work while suppressing your wages

https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/361020380/ai-isnt-taking-your-job-it-just-gave-your-boss-perfect-excuse-something-else

<looks at weather outside> <looks at clock counting down ...

2026-08-03T18:35:55Z

<looks at weather outside>

<looks at clock counting down the minutes before I have to catch my bus to work>

Ughhhhhh.

As long as the professor doesn't say "HARassment" ...

2026-07-26T18:45:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…0ur4
_________________________

As long as the professor doesn't say "HARassment" I'm safe.

(But also "not flinching" is a low bar really as a linguist, a *real* linguist will be laughing in delight at hearing a new one and saying "Ooh, where's that one from? Can we run a survey to find out the geographical, socioeconomic and/or demographic boundaries of who uses it?")

Zach Weinersmith (npub1rkp…dy04)

It always confuses me when a right-wing party proposes an actual ...

2026-07-19T00:21:14Z

It always confuses me when a right-wing party proposes an actual good law especially one that would ordinarily be associated with the left. So when I saw the RNZ article about National pledging reform of consent definitions I was all "Huh, what's up with that?" Part of what's up with that seemed to be that they were tying it in with their "victim's rights / tough on crime" rhetoric which always ends up actually bashing vulnerable groups disproportionately, but still.

But then I saw the Stuff article on the same topic, which explains that the other part of what's up with that is that Labour has been trying to get this done as a cross-party thing for ages and National's been actively sitting on their hands about it, so yeah that explains it. They're basically holding justice to ransom for election votes.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/741708/national-promises-stricter-rules-on-sexual-consent

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361008148/national-promises-change-consent-laws-if-re-elected-labour-says-lets-get-it-done-now

Moon and Venus at sunset tonight. As always, celestial objects ...

2026-07-17T09:09:33Z

Moon and Venus at sunset tonight.

As always, celestial objects make themselves look smaller for the camera.

100%

2026-07-07T08:32:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…3fjt
_________________________

100%

What is the point of an immune response that fights viruses etc ...

2026-07-07T03:35:37Z

What is the point of an immune response that fights viruses etc by inflaming your nasal passages to the point that you can't breathe? The ability to breathe is very important to recovery!

Libby (the Overdrive app for reading ebooks borrowed from a ...

2026-07-03T11:35:16Z

Libby (the Overdrive app for reading ebooks borrowed from a library) is the absolute worst user experience. 20 years ago there were memes about the 31 easy steps it took to get an ebook from the library but I swear it's got worse as well as more predatory.

Every single time I borrow an ebook through Libby, after I wade through the dozen or so clicks needed to actually get to the book, it lies to me, literally telling me "in web browsers, you cannot download ebooks [...] for offline use" and that I can either read in browser (obviously doesn't work on the bus with no wifi) or install a phone app (hahaha no, also my phone screen's too small to read for fun on).

Then (not *quite* every single time but it's happened at least twice, maybe thrice, blame my memory but also it *says* I can't do it so I assume they've just removed the option since last time I was there) I start composing an email to the library to complain about this most recent enshittification, not their fault but maybe they can pass it on to Libby for whatever that's worth. During the writing of this I go to double-check something on the Libby Help pages -- which insist that I *can* download an acsm onto my computer if I follow these instructions.

So I go back to Libby and follow the instructions. They don't work, of course, so I almost assume that the instructions are out of date, but while I'm there I poke at more buttons and finally find a hidden menu somewhere else where it does finally give me the option to in fact download the acsm.

WAS THAT SO HARD, LIBBY?

Sweet dreams are made of geese Who am I to diss a beak The ...

2026-06-27T07:02:44Z

Sweet dreams are made of geese
Who am I to diss a beak
The shareholders counted the golden eggs
Everybody's looking for value

Some of them want to goose you
Some of them want to be goosed by you
Some of them want to accrue you
Some of them want to be a goose

Number goes up
Value goes up (Layin' eggs)
Number goes up (Layin' eggs)
Value goes up (Layin' eggs)
Number goes up (Layin' eggs)
Value goes up (Layin' eggs)
Number goes up (Layin' eggs)
Value goes up...

Came home and found my full-length curtains blowing full-length ...

2026-06-20T02:10:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…4vhx
_________________________

Came home and found my full-length curtains blowing full-length out the top window. (Okay they're muslin but still.)

Taking a risk and doing another load of laundry. I have no doubt it'll dry, the question is how far away it'll fly in the process.

(I've been fully hydrating today so I guess this not-quite headache is pure nor'wester. I don't even normally get nor'wester headaches, hope everyone else is doing okay.)

Went to Lincraft to pick up a few things I know I need and start ...

2026-06-20T02:09:40Z

Went to Lincraft to pick up a few things I know I need and start plotting what I should stock up on (calico, homespun, kind of thing - the cheap bulky stuff that would be painful to mail order). Half the rest of the suburb were there too. Once I made it to the front of the queue (!) I said to the store assistant "Looks like you've been pretty non-stop," and she said such a heartfelt "Yeah" that I didn't make any other comments, just let her have a minute without having to make smalltalk. Spotted a piece of paper by her register with their talking points including "When will the store close? We don't know yet" which covered everything I really wanted to know anyway.

Are the meat sections in other #Ōtautahi supermarkets looking ...

2026-05-05T06:41:46Z

Are the meat sections in other #Ōtautahi supermarkets looking this dire? Eastgate has basically no red meat except four packs of 13%-fat mince and then straight to >$30kg shrinkwrapped stuff. The staff member at the deli said something about a lack of qualified butchers in Christchurch and it's likely to be like this for a while.

PSA today is an excellent day to get clearance [chicken] eggs ...

2026-04-06T01:03:01Z

PSA today is an excellent day to get clearance [chicken] eggs from the supermarket.

The year is 2101. The earth is a scorched husk, rivers are toxic ...

2026-03-28T06:27:31Z

The year is 2101. The earth is a scorched husk, rivers are toxic sludge, children are starving in the streets, and everything in the country is owned by one quadrillionaire. The political poll results sit at:

National 33%
Labour 33%
Greens 10%
NZ First 10%
Act 8%
Te Pati Māori 4%
TOP 2%

Winston Peters is mocking woke activists who wear lipstick and want affordable gruel. The elections.govt.nz website explains that it's his constitutional role to choose which part[y/ies] will form a government with him.

#NZpol

Is that total weight (including the rider) or just the cargo ...

2026-03-27T23:26:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…tv8y
_________________________

Is that total weight (including the rider) or just the cargo weight? There seems to be a range of carrying capacity depending on the type of cargo bike see eg https://www.bicyclejunction.co.nz/pages/faq-how-much-will-it-carry and their range of models includes options with up to 3 kids' seats.

Could be worth talking to them (or in Christchurch with https://christchurchelectricbicycles.co.nz/collections/cargo-bikes ) about your requirements to see what options they recommend.

So I belatedly realised I was overdue for my latest Covid booster ...

2026-03-05T04:01:07Z

So I belatedly realised I was overdue for my latest Covid booster but on the plus side when I turned up today it turns out that as of just three days ago the vaccine is now for a new variant.

So if you too are suddenly thinking "Wait, when *did* I last get a booster?" this would be an excellent time to head down to your pharmacy!

I never really get the fuss over a lunar eclipse. Yeah yeah the ...

2026-03-03T18:01:50Z

I never really get the fuss over a lunar eclipse. Yeah yeah the moon is making funny shapes when it's supposed to be full, whatever, I'm going back to bed now.

A *solar* eclipse is fun because the whole world goes dark and spooky. But all this "blood moon" marketing is just hype and Photoshop as far as I've ever seen, call me when the moon *actually* starts dripping blood.

Boiling drinking water is all very fine until you remember this ...

2026-02-14T07:31:40Z

Boiling drinking water is all very fine until you remember this also means boiling cooking water and water for dishes and handwashing water.

Dinner tonight is going to be a bit simpler than planned, and may involve some tinned tuna instead of the pork in the fridge.

(Yes I am remembering toothbrushing water too, I remember from earthquake days that's one where your habits can really trick you.)

Wondering if there's a portrait of him hidden up in his ...

2026-02-05T05:26:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…meeu
_________________________

Wondering if there's a portrait of him hidden up in his attic. 🤔

PSA #sewing folk of Aotearoa, Lincraft is selling patterns for $5 ...

2026-01-30T05:31:32Z

PSA #sewing folk of Aotearoa, Lincraft is selling patterns for $5 and craft fabric for $6/m.

I popped in quickly this evening to run my fingers over it, and at least at my local store there's even more variety than on the website.

Have promised to go back tomorrow after pondering. I do need to make a new skirt (or two...) to replace some much-loved ones that are getting a bit threadbare, and my brain is pulling together some brilliant ideas for an easy-sew reversible adjustable skirt with pockets.

No-one likes their school uniform. (Well, I did, but I was weird. ...

2026-01-26T05:18:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…fgnk
_________________________

No-one likes their school uniform. (Well, I did, but I was weird. No-one else did.) Hopefully he'll at least get used to it enough to be able to tolerate it though. 🤞

Cool thanks! Training seems like an Extra-Large T-shirt or ...

2026-01-07T00:33:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…zqgz
_________________________

Cool thanks! Training seems like an Extra-Large T-shirt or whatever the cool PMs are calling it these days, but it would be absolutely awesome to have a Linux system that did that!

Train-your-own would be excellent! In the meantime, what accents ...

2026-01-07T00:10:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…m02a
_________________________

Train-your-own would be excellent! In the meantime, what accents has it been trained to recognise -- and/or tested on? (That might be useful info in the readme too.) I remember pre-Dragon I could get MacOS's built-in system to work sometimes if I faked the accent just right...

Of all the weird garden finds I've found in my garden, the ...

2026-01-04T06:36:11Z

Of all the weird garden finds I've found in my garden, the full bottle of 2024 Church Road Chardonnay stashed between the powerbox and the kōwhai has to be right near the top.

Sadly it wasn't sealed, so I poured the whole thing down the drain in case it wasn't just Chardonnay. (By the smell it was certainly *mostly* Chardonnay.)

And that's the moment the old perishing plastic in the drain's trap decided to give way and start dripping Chardonnay onto the floor.

Bus shelter has a plexiglass roof. ...

2025-12-09T19:07:48Z

Bus shelter has a plexiglass roof.

Message on a footpath on the way to my local swimming pool. ...

2025-12-04T19:19:25Z

Message on a footpath on the way to my local swimming pool.

RNZ asks "Why do we all earn close to the minimum wage?" ...

2025-11-30T19:40:43Z

RNZ asks "Why do we all earn close to the minimum wage?" but they only asked economists so they didn't get to the obvious answer that billionaires are hoarding all the money.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/580462/why-are-we-all-paid-close-to-minimum-wage

On freezing: If you want to prep for the freezer the best quality ...

2025-11-20T04:19:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…alnr
_________________________

On freezing:
If you want to prep for the freezer the best quality end-result for almost all of them is to chop, blanch (= boil briefly until they *just* look bright green, then immediately remove boiling water and cool them off with cold water instead) and freeze from there.

If you don't have time for that and the meals you make with them later on won't need them to look at their absolute pretty greenest, then you can just chop and freeze.

Spring onion - don't blanch, just chop and freeze.

Meal ideas from someone not good at meal ideas:
* Broccoli really does go in anything - stir fry, soup, by itself, whatever. Boil just until it's bright green, and only longer if people eating it prefer softness over deliciousness.

* Spring onion is a great garnish for stir fries, fried rice, soup, or include in anything in place of onion if you're struggling to use it.

* Bok choy and chard (aka silver beet even though this isn't a silver variety...) are both good in stir fries, fried rice, etc.

* I've also used chard successfully in quiche-like things. I wouldn't use bok choy or kale (or broccoli) here as cabbage-relatives get a bit whiffy if cooked too long.

* Anything cabbage-like (so I'm assuming both bok choy and kale) does work well with butter. (For actual nutritional reasons I forget, something something calcium, as well as flavour.) Chop and either fry directly in butter, or boil to bright green and then stir in a knob of butter until melted. A pinch of lemon pepper seasoning (and/or some spring onion) will complete a nice side.

That's excellent success! You could ask him questions about ...

2025-11-12T06:59:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…q7cv
_________________________

That's excellent success! You could ask him questions about what part of the manual interested him?

If lucky, that might yield an interest that some geek has made YouTube videos about. If not, surely there are Peppa videos where they're driving?

In due course, outdoor activities he likes that just so happen to be next to the car.

If/when he seems comfortable in the general vicinity, maybe you need to get something out of the car, so you're opening/fetching/shutting the door (letting him know in advance what you're doing).

It does seem like something where it is just taking it painfully slow. At first he may resist *everything* from a fear that if he accepts step 1 then that may be seen as consent to throw him in and drive him across town. But once he can see that you're only doing the steps he's comfortable with hopefully it can progress a bit faster - and then it may just stop/regress once you hit whatever the underlying cause is. Which will be good, because then you'll know what the real issue is that you need to address.

I think there's a fair number of churches who wouldn't ...

2025-11-07T05:40:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…z5k2
_________________________

I think there's a fair number of churches who wouldn't care much about "obedience" - but that doesn't mean they'd be *equipped* to be welcoming while also avoiding disruption to others. My church would in theory say "come on in" but in practice the average age of the congregation is like 70, I doubt any of you would particularly be entertained by the services, and the extracurricular groups wouldn't be much more appropriate either.

If you were religious I'd happily help look around because there may very well be a congregation that would have more useful experience/structures in place than ours. But most likely there'd still be tradeoffs that'd only make it worth while if being part of a faith community was in and of itself a strong benefit for you.

Ōtautahi whānau, anybody know where I can buy a pair of circa ...

2025-10-11T06:15:59Z

Ōtautahi whānau, anybody know where I can buy a pair of circa 120cm burgundy shoelaces?

All the shoestores I've tried plus Mister Minit all have black and white and occasionally leather. Even the shoestores that sell shoes with other colour shoelaces.

If I get no other clues I'll try Bennetts, or the Church Corner place which I vaguely remember had a good selection back when my bus ran close enough to be convenient.

I was going to do a giant sowing session on the grounds that ...

2025-10-10T23:31:27Z

I was going to do a *giant* sowing session on the grounds that then the blackbirds wouldn't be able to dig up *all* the beans, but it turns out that the sun wants to kill me so I just did one patch with my chickpea sprouts(*) and watered and mulched lightly, and dug up an unrelated section of the garden as a bribe to the blackbirds to please leave my chickpeas alone.

(*) Turns out you can germinate chickpeas from Bin Inn, tbd how well they grow.

#gardening

Oh no, I'm so sorry. 😢 💔

2025-09-06T00:49:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…7psr
_________________________

Oh no, I'm so sorry. 😢 💔

Lots of things have been around for 5 years but still come out of ...

2025-09-01T03:51:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…t35u
_________________________

Lots of things have been around for 5 years but still come out of left field to some (or even many) people.

That doesn't mean people should blame or be angry at you. But I don't think they're to blame either for not knowing that it's possible for what looks in form exactly like an individual account to actually be a whole entire forum. And if someone's based their threat model on the world-as-they've-understood-it-to-date, then it's normal to feel nervous or upset to discover that they've accidentally put themself at risk and now have to completely rewrite that threat model.

(I don't have stats or evidence or anything but I certainly have seen a lot of people describe their *experience* that controlling the way they interact helps to limit the harassment they receive. If it works for them then I figure excellent, let's let them keep doing that.)

Anyway. Again, not about blame or anything, I was just trying to understand how it works because I know nothing about Piefed. It's a shame Mastodon isn't able to display a distinction between individual handles and forum handles but it is what it is, so good to now be aware.

Rimu (npub1vwf…95aa)

They clearly haven't recognised that it's a forum thread ...

2025-09-01T03:31:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…ch8a
_________________________

They clearly haven't recognised that it's a forum thread (I wouldn't have, I'd never heard of Piefed before so I'd have assumed those accounts were just a couple of individual people) so your post is useful.

I'm just wanting to clarify - are you then saying that it wouldn't be sufficient for them to remove the @ x @ piefed part and even if they did so, their reply would still appear to that community?

Rimu (npub1vwf…95aa)

Some people want transparency and control over how widely their ...

2025-09-01T03:23:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…y7kn
_________________________

Some people want transparency and control over how widely their posts are re-broadcast, often in order to limit the amount of harassment they get, which is valid.

I presume in this case they could delete the piefed at from their reply and it would then go only to you and not be re-broadcast on Piefed?

Rimu (npub1vwf…95aa)

I gather some current events have been happening, so here are ...

2025-06-22T05:09:29Z

I gather some current events have been happening, so here are some very non-news photos for your attention instead. Taken in town on Friday, and at Kowai Bush today.

I saw a pair of sundogs once even in Christchurch (latitude ...

2025-02-16T09:02:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…lwfx
_________________________

I saw a pair of sundogs once even in Christchurch (latitude -43degrees) though they weren't nearly as bright as in that photo!

Also @npub14n6…x793 let me know if you want any large ...

2025-02-11T05:55:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…fvd9
_________________________

Also Angela (npub14n6…x793) let me know if you want any large zucchinis....

fffffff I was leaning a little to cut a zucchini and brushed ...

2025-02-11T05:54:25Z

fffffff I was leaning a little to cut a zucchini and brushed against a zucchini leaf covered in overripe elderberry pulp and juice, and nekminnit my white blouse sleeve looks like someone's tipped an entire inkpot over it.

Took it straight off, rinsed from the inside, soaked, and have run some soap over it a few times but it's still looking distinctly blue-grey. Any other suggestions or just repeat the soak-and-soap?

Sadly it's not clear at this point whether I'll have any ...

2025-02-08T04:16:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…c0er
_________________________

Sadly it's not clear at this point whether I'll have any usable at all, let alone excess. Usually I do a massive bottling session and then use the results on my breakfast for the next half year, but... well, we'll see if I get enough for that this time.

Filling a green bin with peaches. :-( There are a fair number ...

2025-02-08T00:14:35Z

Filling a green bin with peaches. :-( There are a fair number left on the tree, for now - a week or two will tell if they ripen before they rot. Did manage to salvage a slice each from a few today so not a *complete* loss for the year at least....

I see the news that the CIA sabotage manual is going viral is ...

2025-01-30T00:39:56Z

I see the news that the CIA sabotage manual is going viral is itself going viral.

If you enjoy recursion you know what to do....

Rare though not completely unprecedented - 1919 saw snow fall ...

2025-01-12T08:20:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…pdx8
_________________________

Rare though not *completely* unprecedented - 1919 saw snow fall on the Port Hills in December: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19191204.2.74

Also some in Christchurch itself in November 1925: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19251110.2.104

But yeah it's definitely one of the cooler summers we've had for a good long while....

Owww. I've had similar kinds of issues with my shoulders ...

2025-01-03T22:11:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…cwtl
_________________________

Owww. I've had similar kinds of issues with my shoulders which definitely seems too high to amputate, so much sympathy.

Ngā mihi o te tauhou! ...

2024-12-31T11:01:25Z

Ngā mihi o te tauhou!

Also if anyone's doing a roast of the kind with the ...

2024-12-24T09:09:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…47nx
_________________________

Also if anyone's doing a roast of the kind with the netting/string that holds everything together, discard it securely because it is *irresistible* to cats and yet plays very badly with their intestines. 😟

All I wanted to know is if Mod Podge is essentially PVA(*) and I ...

2024-12-11T09:00:02Z

All I wanted to know is if Mod Podge is essentially PVA(*) and I discovered that someone's got an entire fansite about Mod Podge. This feels very web-ring error internet to me so I felt obliged to share: https://modpodgerocksblog.com/

(*) Apparently it contains PVA but also other ingredients.

Do you want something he can read or something for background ...

2024-12-10T05:24:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…t5j7
_________________________

Do you want something he can read or something for background info for yourself? Because Wikipedia is generally pretty good at this kind of thing, but he may or may not want to wade through the entire page himself.

Ooh I think the chilli plant I'm growing to give to a ...

2024-12-07T05:40:53Z

Ooh I *think* the chilli plant I'm growing to give to a friend for either Christmas or his February birthday might be developing a tiny baby chilli out of one of its first flowers.

The plant's in a pot which I've mostly kept inside for warmth, especially overnight, but have been taking outside on the assumption it needs help pollinating, so this feels like a sign that my efforts are paying off. 🤞

PSA: OfficeMax has P2 duckbill masks on clearance for a good ...

2024-11-29T07:05:47Z

PSA: OfficeMax has P2 duckbill masks on clearance for a good price at https://www.officemax.co.nz/Safety-First-Aid/Protective-Wear-Apparel/Disposable-Masks-Respirator/Help-It-P2-Duckbill-Mask-Respirator-Box-of-50-2525526

Through a supreme effort of executive function I went to bed on ...

2024-11-28T18:58:41Z

Through a supreme effort of executive function I went to bed on time and actually got enough sleep, A++ would definitely recommend to Future Me.

It's by far and away the best I've ever done too! Usually ...

2024-11-24T02:41:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…6arp
_________________________

It's by far and away the best I've ever done too! Usually I use too little netting and too short stakes.

I sewed a few panels together - I aim to do some more sewing at some point so I can reclaim some clothes pegs but this should do for now.

Behold this masterpiece of structural engineering! (It super ...

2024-11-24T01:44:08Z

Behold this masterpiece of structural engineering!

(It super flimsy actually but hopefully will keep out the tauhou etc as the raspberries are just starting to ripen..)

(Also hopefully the brat neighbour who tosses rubbish over that fence won't ruin it.)

The year is 2050. Everyone dies before they're 30 due to ...

2024-11-22T00:15:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…w09s
_________________________

The year is 2050. Everyone dies before they're 30 due to rampant cancers, strokes, heart disease, diabetes etc. Hospitals are user pays and close at 4:30 to save money. Strain #273,944 reaches NZ and suddenly children everywhere are vomiting blood. The government blames it on lockdowns and requires schools to buy blood vomit buckets so kids can stay in class.

:meowheart:

2024-11-16T07:59:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…lut2
_________________________

:meowheart:

It does sound like a frustrating sequel... but I still see that ...

2024-11-16T07:00:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…yw0k
_________________________

It does sound like a frustrating sequel... but I still see that earlier part of it as a win. For one thing you found something that he enjoyed - and even if he doesn't enjoy it again in future, he still enjoyed it *today*. For another, you confirmed a method of introducing him to new things - and again even if that doesn't work all the time, it's bound to work *some* times. Life is up and down, and exhausting as the downs are, it's all the more important to celebrate the ups.

What a great series of wins!

2024-11-16T06:10:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…dvsp
_________________________

What a great series of wins!

Just finished "How to Be Perfect" by Michael Schur, ...

2024-11-05T06:10:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…r7j6
_________________________

Just finished "How to Be Perfect" by Michael Schur, creator of The Good Place, which is basically all the boring 😉 plot parts of The Good Place to focus on the philosophy.

Not a tea drinker, sorry!

2024-11-03T08:21:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…ce9j
_________________________

Not a tea drinker, sorry!

Riccarton Bush is surprisingly peaceful. Another option is ...

2024-10-21T03:22:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…g2xl
_________________________

Riccarton Bush is surprisingly peaceful. Another option is Victoria Park - https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/explore-parks/port-hills/victoria-park-walks-and-tracks

tfh you get home just as a cop car, no three cop cars, no five ...

2024-10-18T06:50:51Z

tfh you get home just as a cop car, no three cop cars, no five cop cars pull up into your very short street and every cop in the city gets out and meanders over to knock at the house opposite yours.

Soon (temporally, not causally) followed by tfw you go to see if you have anything immediately edible in the kitchen and discover that you left the freezer door open when you left the house seven hours ago. 😭

Was it windy last night in Ōtautahi? I was hanging out the ...

2024-10-13T22:17:35Z

Was it windy last night in Ōtautahi? I was hanging out the washing this morning and stepped on a plum and then remembered it's not plum season. 😬 When I looked around I found two other baby birds (I suspect blackbirds but too young and naked to be sure) also lying dead on the grass, each under the same plum tree but several metres apart.

Have buried them all together in an unmarked grave....

...Is there a store with friendly staff who would put a locker on ...

2024-10-12T03:55:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…r84j
_________________________

...Is there a store with friendly staff who would put a locker on the shelf which you had previously bought elsewhere so Flip can then buy it from there? Would involve some finagling and I don't know how he'd react if he got suspicious though.

Mine always end up crushing the plants which grow bigger than I ...

2024-10-05T02:41:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…sq38
_________________________

Mine always end up crushing the plants which grow bigger than I expected, and then there are gaps between bits of netting because I skimp on the overlap, and then my gardener mows too close and it gets caught in the lawn mower.

Went to prune the Persistent Plumshoots that come up everywhere ...

2024-10-05T02:22:46Z

Went to prune the Persistent Plumshoots that come up *everywhere* and discovered there are still strawberry plants hidden in the 18-month-old overgrowth of a neglected patch.

Shame I can't really deal with said overgrowth right now, I only got through half the Persistent Plumshoots before having to come inside to my couch with a glass of water.

The raspberry patch looks lush though, and blossoming already. Going to have to give serious thought to a proper structure for bird netting this year.

I think it was the electrical engineering that had me running and ...

2024-09-30T23:28:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…95pw
_________________________

I think it was the electrical engineering that had me running and hiding - or maybe the cost of parts. But will let you know if I give it another look!

Yeah watching videos on my laptop while using it didn't make ...

2024-09-30T07:09:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…q5d7
_________________________

Yeah watching videos on my laptop while using it didn't make it much more appealing to me either lol

All the innards are hidden behind a plastic frame so not sure what's in there. Once I looked up how to convert an exercycle into a generator and then backed away very quickly from the very complicated results...

Kids do go through random growth spurts - in both directions, not ...

2024-09-30T05:22:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…hxe0
_________________________

Kids do go through random growth spurts - in both directions, not necessarily at the same time. Just to make it *really* hard to tell what's "normal" and what's concerning....

I happen to have a disused [adult-sized but adjustable-height seat] exercycle, if you wanted to see if he might enjoy making wheels go round.

Also it's interesting to me that this protest was fully ...

2024-09-28T03:17:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…lm5h
_________________________

Also it's interesting to me that this protest was fully supported(/instigated?) by the city and regional councils. This govt has shown contempt for local govt in various ways, but for local govt to push back in more than press statements and procedural methods is... an interesting development.

With this govt I fully expect it to be ignored or get lip ...

2024-09-28T03:12:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…ne7a
_________________________

With this govt I fully expect it to be ignored or get lip service. But protests are as much about galvanising the people as about the nominal audience. Especially when people *see* it being ignored.

I don't know how much damage they can do in another 2 years - the last year has been appalling enough. But if we can do nothing else, we can at least make sure it's not another 5 years.

Correction: a quarter of the city. 🤯 ...

2024-09-28T02:36:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…c4g8
_________________________

Correction: a quarter of the city. 🤯

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/529298/thousands-protest-over-health-system-in-dunedin-and-westport

A full seventh of an entire city turning out to protest sends a ...

2024-09-28T02:03:33Z

A full seventh of an entire city turning out to protest sends a message eh. #Ōtepoti

It's possible you need to lay down in the dark?

2024-09-28T00:03:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…md87
_________________________

It's possible you need to lay down in the dark?

The challenge with that clause (and related ones) is the ...

2024-09-27T22:09:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…klh9
_________________________

The challenge with that clause (and related ones) is the "reasonably believes arises from work" part because work will argue Covid's everywhere, how do you know you got it from work.

Angela (npub14n6…x793)

Probably you want ...

2024-09-27T22:07:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…t64r
_________________________

Probably you want https://legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2016/0013/latest/whole.html sections 5 & 6; section 10(1)(e); section 11(2)(g).

PCBU = "person conducting a business or undertaking"

Law is of course fuzzy about what's 'reasonable' and any given business will argue it's no more at risk of illness than anywhere else but if I had energy to argue, that's where I'd try starting.

Reviewing my papers from hospital I discovered my fracture has a ...

2024-09-23T08:40:52Z

Reviewing my papers from hospital I discovered my fracture has a name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barton%27s_fracture for short description and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499906/ for more medical details.

Sounds like I may have been fairly lucky to avoid surgery and also like it's still not totally out of the question depending on tomorrow's xrays. 😬 🤞

Just got a phone call from the ice rink checking in on my wrist. ...

2024-09-22T02:22:14Z

Just got a phone call from the ice rink checking in on my wrist. They were a bit dismayed to hear it was broken but I promised I'll be back at some point...

My pharmacy recommended me something last time, you could try ...

2024-09-19T05:08:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…x0v5
_________________________

My pharmacy recommended me something last time, you could try asking them? Fermented type foods as someone mentioned is also good. As is just living with other people - microbiomes get shared.

Turning off all the settings in LinkedIn and just taking a little ...

2024-09-19T01:02:37Z

Turning off all the settings in LinkedIn and just taking a little pause to meditate on

"Can we use your gender (from your profile or inferred) to show you more tailored ads on LinkedIn?"

and employment law.

Oh but did want to give a shoutout to the Fitting Room (as per ...

2024-09-18T07:43:06Z

Oh but did want to give a shoutout to the Fitting Room (as per someone else here a while ago) - I made an appointment noting broken wrist and asking if they had a bra easy to fasten in front. When I arrived she said "Hi yes actually I think you may like something you can just step into," and yes, yes I do. Moreover she says it's easy to wash and dry over night so I only need to buy one. Moreover HEPA filters. ❤️

Too believable...

2024-09-17T07:21:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…yjag
_________________________

Too believable...

willow will too! But that's fine if you want it for weaving.

2024-09-15T06:39:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…3zse
_________________________

willow will too! But that's fine if you want it for weaving.

Elder does that! Elder sprouts from a wish and a prayer....

2024-09-15T05:38:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…r6yg
_________________________

Elder does that! Elder sprouts from a wish and a prayer....

Sitting in orthopaedics (waiting room number 3 for the afternoon ...

2024-09-15T05:34:54Z

Sitting in orthopaedics (waiting room number 3 for the afternoon following a silly fall ice skating - right wrist) bored enough to try typing with left hand. Codeine is good for you. Not sure if they'll be content with a cast but anyway I think this is going to inconvenience me for a while. Left hand very bad at typing on phone.

Just came back from a craft group where almost everyone masked ...

2024-09-14T05:00:07Z

Just came back from a craft group where almost everyone masked and, y'know, by now I'm pretty comfortable with being the only person in a group masking, but it's sooooo heartwarming to *not* be the only person in a group masking.

(Kudos to Angela (npub14n6…x793) for originally raising the idea of yay clean air with the organiser, and kudos to the organiser for being super supportive. Also everyone who walked in, saw everyone else masking, and said "...Do you have a spare mask?" (We did.) Peer pressure ftw!)

New mindless RSI-bait - match the tiles to create pātiki ...

2024-09-12T10:03:46Z

New mindless RSI-bait - match the tiles to create pātiki (flounder patterns):

https://www.heihei.nz/game/268/p%C4%81tiki

I scored 111
kotahi rau e tekau mā tahi 😃

My first thought: Oh no. 😢 My second thought: Ah hahahaha. ...

2024-09-11T01:59:20Z

My first thought: Oh no. 😢

My second thought: Ah hahahaha. 🤣

My third thought: It will now be our solemn patriotic duty to use this thing in order to collate the most absolutely horrendous examples of its results and flood the media/complaints departments until they quietly agree to take it offline "temporarily" for "tweaking". :laserkiwi:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/527680/government-to-launch-ai-chatbot-called-gov-gpt

Amazing how it's possible to write a story like this without ...

2024-09-10T20:02:09Z

Amazing how it's possible to write a story like this without ever asking the question of what on earth could have changed recently that's led to this situation.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/527611/auckland-school-principal-has-to-find-up-to-20-relief-teachers-a-day

If it's got 12 months of expiry left: ...

2024-09-07T04:26:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…9s9u
_________________________

If it's got 12 months of expiry left: https://pips.co.nz/donate/donate-items/

If it's expired then there's https://seatsmart.co.nz/local-funding-brings-seatsmart-recycling-to-christchurch/ (though with a collection fee) where they'll break it down for parts to recycle.