Tim Richards

Travel writer living and working on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne, Australia.

Rail travel expert, current books on sale include Heading South, Ultimate Train Journeys: World, and Train Europe. My book The Kick of Stalin's Cow is a travel narrative about post-communist Poland. I also have a novel out in ebook form, Mind the Gap.

See my published writing at iwriter.com.au, and become a patron of my Patreon at patreon.com/timrichards.

Website: https://www.iwriter.com.au
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards
Heading South: https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/products/heading-south
Train Europe: https://publishing.hardiegrant.com/en-au/books/train-europe-by-tim-richards/9781741179385

Public Key

npub12cjl8p20kghhaky42qse4rqq54efygqjfu903yw9f0tk42zc699q4hhqkq

NIP-05 Address

timrichards_at_aus.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9vf0ns48mytm7mz24qgv63sq22u5jyqfy7zhcj8z5h4m24pvdzjspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dshyx673

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub12cjl8p20kghhaky42qse4rqq54efygqjfu903yw9f0tk42zc699q4hhqkq

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Last Notes

2026-06-15 22:44:40 UTC

No way I ever tip in the US when I've had to line up to order, or in any retail setting. Also I don't understand the suggestion of 20% tips, when rising prices would ensure a 15% tip is bigger over time anyway. It is getting out of control.
#USA #tipping https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/tipping-in-the-us-is-out-of-control-now-everybody-wants-one-20260615-p606vt.html

2026-06-15 05:17:29 UTC

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I've never heard that before. Might be a Queensland thing?

2026-06-13 07:22:42 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.ie/@Ciarancuffe/116739369745425009
My mouth is watering
#train #trains
#note1r2m…ykhy

2026-06-13 05:02:13 UTC

Talented young bloke with a very strong kick. Interesting profile.
---
He can moonwalk, he can backflip – but most of all, Nestory Irankunda can kick a ball so freakishly hard that he has even broken a soccer net. Meet the Socceroos’ wildcard weapon.
#football #Australia https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-don-t-know-how-to-stop-scoring-bangers-is-this-our-next-football-superstar-20260526-p600sl.html

2026-06-12 04:03:30 UTC

Good piece by Wendy Squires. As a writer I'm very conscious of retaining my ability to concentrate, so I try to limit my time online and still absorb long-form works - books, movies - in the absence of other screens. The Attention War is real.
"The irony in double screening is that we fool ourselves into thinking we are maximising every moment – learning while playing; watching while scrolling. But in doing so, we are grabbing fragments and not the full story, skimming surfaces instead of diving in. We are taking in lots of information but little is being absorbed. It’s just brain-fog fodder."
#tech
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/my-screen-addiction-was-stopping-me-from-doing-my-job-here-s-how-i-m-trying-to-fix-it-20260527-p6019c.html

2026-06-11 12:21:09 UTC

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I presume so, but if pre-requested. Otherwise it was chicken two ways (chipotle and salad).

2026-06-11 12:08:32 UTC

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This flight's hot meal choice was chicken chipotle with rice. Very good! Nice to see airlines being brave with flavour nowadays.
#Qantas #flying #food #AirlineFood

2026-06-11 11:17:32 UTC

I'm on the flight home to Melbourne. No luck re my upgrade request via points, but I did end up with the next-best thing: an empty seat next to me (aka Poor Man's Business Class). Also the bonus of an empty seat in front of me (so no one reclining into my space).
#Qantas #flying

2026-06-11 09:29:24 UTC

I like how at Perth Airport's Terminal 4 they scroll between the destination name and the relevant First Nation Country. Nice touch.
#Qantas #Flying #FirstNations
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/730/767/405/037/904/original/62353a8172e5a36f.jpeg
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/730/767/676/841/430/original/d674733d662e55e5.jpeg

2026-06-11 07:08:08 UTC

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Nice. There was a woman at Mum's funeral yesterday who trained with her in nursing in 1956! Just popped up out of nowhere, having read the funeral notice I suppose.

2026-06-11 04:37:39 UTC

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Fine with that. I got a couple of laughs with my eulogy to Mum yesterday, so I felt pleased with that. If you can get laughs at a funeral, the writing must be good.

2026-06-11 03:06:06 UTC

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In that case I'd be tempted to have a wake at his favourite pub.

2026-06-11 01:24:59 UTC

This episode of [@travelfish.bsky.social](http://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/travelfish.bsky.social )'s cross-Asia trip has a dramatic ending on a train through Kazakhstan:
https://www.travelfish.org/couchfish/news/overland-day-18
#travel #train #train

2026-06-11 00:37:18 UTC

Had some observations about funerals, arising from yesterday's ceremony. I hadn't really been involved in planning one before, so it was interesting to see how it works.
Because wedding dates can be set well in advance and funeral dates generally can't, funeral directors have to be nimble and have blocks of procedure ready for deployment, to be tailored as per the grieving family's wishes.
Thus funerals tend to be simpler and more similar than weddings; which is not a bad thing really, as ritual is helpful at difficult times.
Interestingly, the celebrant we hired only does funerals, not weddings.
I said "What, are weddings not gloomy enough for you?" But she pointed out that wedding planning is elaborate and goes on forever, whereas funerals tend to have short warning and be fairly simple. Also, understandably, wedding celebrants need additional certification from the state.
All very interesting, how we as a society arrange our rituals. I think if you had the patience for it, the funeral business could be a very rewarding job emotionally - helping grieving families through their a difficult time via tailored ritual.
#life #death #wedding #funeral

2026-06-11 00:21:44 UTC

Sigh, the cafe at City Beach decided because it's a toasty 14° they would open up the *entire front* of the cafe to the outside world. Geniuses. In some way it's good to know this cold cafe problem is Australia-wide, not just in Melbourne. But still... what are they thinking?
#Perth #cafe #cafes #winter

2026-06-10 08:48:24 UTC

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Mum's funeral went well in the end; nice things were said by me, @npub1jrk…mxg8 and my nieces. Also saw a truckload of photos from Mum's life as a slideshow (easy to source as she kept most of them loose in boxes). And I got to meet my niece's new baby Rexton - who made me feel old as a great-uncle, grrr :)

2026-06-10 05:35:05 UTC

Off to mum's funeral here in Perth. Feeling a bit queasy.

2026-06-10 00:27:47 UTC

Scary thoughts.
"Which to me means it’s vitally important that Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers press on with enacting the budget’s plans to limit negative gearing, end the capital gains tax discount and start taxing family trusts.
"Why? Not just because these changes are vital to making home ownership affordable again, but also because, if Albanese abandons his efforts to fix home ownership or even just waters them down, it will show that, in all practical terms, the economy has become ungovernable."
#Ukraine #Russia #UkraineWar https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/how-a-three-day-invasion-has-surpassed-world-war-one-and-threatens-global-catastrophe-20260604-p6042o.html

2026-06-09 09:08:50 UTC

A new season of 'Stuff the British Stole' is screening on the ABC! Always good viewing.
#TV #Australia #UK #Britain #History https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-09/criticism-marc-fennell-always-gets-for-stuff-the-british-stole/106705240

2026-06-09 04:19:27 UTC

Interesting. Might be an argument for a UBI. #money https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-09/happiness-index-shows-we-were-more-satisfied-in-covid-pandemic/106764966

2026-06-09 03:56:05 UTC

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Best town name ever

2026-06-08 12:59:21 UTC

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Focused is the correct form. The rule is that you only need to double a consonant before "-ed" if that syllable is stressed (with the exception of L, which is always doubled in British English). Hence "riveted", not "rivetted", for example. The stress is FO-cused, not fo-CUSSED. So it doesn't matter where anyone is from, "focussed" is incorrect.

2026-06-07 07:08:57 UTC

Putin getting desperate.
#UkraineWar #StandWithUkraine https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-07/russia-embarks-on-plan-to-recruit-soldiers-from-universities/106757174

2026-06-06 11:32:22 UTC

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So one of those days Das Boot chose Walken over you...

2026-06-06 05:25:33 UTC

Worth knowing about - stay alert to travel scams like these:
#travel #scam https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-06/booking-com-scammers-target-travel-reservations/106759168

2026-06-03 10:24:15 UTC

Good to see Temu, the big supermarket chains, Qantas, Facebook and X in the list of Australians' least trusted companies - sounds reasonable.
Here's the link to the article: https://www.theage.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/the-brands-that-australians-are-now-hating-on-and-why-20260603-p603h2.html
#Australia
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2026-06-03 04:42:07 UTC

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I don’t know why they bother, they're so obviously scammy

2026-06-02 22:14:58 UTC

Coffee in the Qantas Domestic Business Lounge, waiting for my flight to Perth. Thought I might as well blow some frequent flyer points and upgrade, given the flight time.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/682/817/173/171/959/original/015713a63ea3beb0.jpeg

2026-06-02 06:23:47 UTC

Awkward. #AI https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/starbucks-quietly-retired-its-ai-agent-just-months-after-deployment-after-it-miscounted-coffee-shop-inventories-and-slowed-down-baristas-192259953.html

2026-06-02 05:26:48 UTC

Remember creaming soda from the Olden Days? I remember it from my childhood anyway. Was never quite sure what gave it that interesting flavour. This is a modern version at one of Axil's cafes; tastes good but not as sugary as the original. #Melbourne #drink
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2026-06-02 03:58:54 UTC

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Used to drive us crazy! But in retrospect, is amusing.

2026-06-02 00:30:43 UTC

At my Patreon I've written a piece about my late mother's habit of visiting us in Melbourne without any warning, just popping up out of the blue:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/farewell-to-159789461
#RIP
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2026-06-01 23:28:11 UTC

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Ah yes,24 June. This is the first time I've been at home for my birthday in three years – the last two were in Istanbul and before that Wellington. Will have drinks on a weekend soon after, I think.

2026-06-01 23:08:19 UTC

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Yes! That's why I let ppl know it's my birthday. :)

2026-06-01 22:28:36 UTC

I quite like making a fuss about my birthday, but I don’t necessarily go out for dinner or anything on the day. Rather I invite people round for drinks on the following weekend.
What do you do?
"A day that is supposed to arrive draped in flowers, gifts, champagne, cake and people who love you – a day that is supposed to feel different from every other day. And when it doesn’t – when it feels like a Wednesday (because it is, in fact, a Wednesday) the gap between what you were promised and what you actually get can be quietly crushing.
"This is where the great birthday divide sits. There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who love their birthday with the unguarded enthusiasm of a golden retriever puppy begin the countdown in early January, while the other lot would genuinely prefer if the whole thing passed without incident – like a scheduled 3am phone update that doesn’t interrupt anything."
#birthday #birthdays https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/there-s-a-good-reason-i-don-t-like-birthdays-and-no-it-s-not-what-you-re-thinking-20260601-p602uh.html

2026-06-01 07:53:47 UTC

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Good question! I did lightly tease him on the day for overpacking so much.

2026-06-01 06:59:00 UTC

Aha my story about the unforgettable Bucharest-Sofia train is on the front page of the Age website. Nice.
Here's the link: https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/inspiration/this-might-be-europe-s-most-gruelling-train-ride-but-here-s-why-i-enjoyed-it-20260521-p5zzj0.html
#train #trains #Romania #Bulgaria cc [@seatsixtyone.bsky.social](https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/seatsixtyone.bsky.social )
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2026-06-01 01:24:50 UTC

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That's the next big challenge for medical science, to help our minds stay healthy as long as our bodies.

2026-06-01 01:06:54 UTC

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It really is the worst; kind of thankful it didn't drag on even longer. Strange how random it is. I've had people on both sides of the family reach a great age without dementia, but also some with it.

2026-06-01 00:57:33 UTC

We had bad news over the weekend... my mum (Kath) passed away in Perth, Western Australia. She had been suffering from dementia and had been in a nursing home for about three years, so it wasn't entirely unexpected - but of course it's an emotional blow when it happens.
She often visited us in Melbourne, which was nice, though she had the slightly annoying habit of just popping up without warning! She was a great fan of Dame Edna, who we saw together at the Princess Theatre one year, so I've included this photo of her with a Dame Edna statue, taken back in 2012.
RIP.
#RIP #InMemoriam
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2026-05-30 06:30:27 UTC

This bike was on bold display in Brunetti Carlton yesterday. I assume this year's Giro d'Italia is currently happening?
#bike #bicycle #cycling #Melbourne
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/662/116/282/977/500/original/db83d80144792dbc.jpeg

2026-05-30 06:19:09 UTC

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Even when we moved to Melbourne in 1998, things were much easier. We rented a rundown terrace house in Richmond – very close to the CBD – for just $190 a week, and were thus able to save up a deposit to buy our CBD apartment five years later.

2026-05-29 00:36:39 UTC

I love this idea - samosa in the form of a pie:
https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/love-samosas-this-golden-tray-pie-gives-you-all-the-crunch-minus-the-fiddly-folding-20260504-p5zthb.html
#food #recipe cc @npub1emv…wnhu

2026-05-28 01:03:38 UTC

Impressed with @npub1jrk…mxg8's new scarf. She crocheted it herself!
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/649/506/425/800/837/original/328a2d3586affcdf.jpeg

2026-05-27 23:20:10 UTC

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What a pain with that train from LHR! Last thing you want after a long flight.

2026-05-26 23:39:45 UTC

Now free for all to read (and if you enjoy it, please consider subscribing)... As a travel writer I stay in a lot of hotels. But no matter how big or small the accommodation, I have one test I always apply. At breakfast I ask this leading question: "Can you make me an omelette?"
https://www.patreon.com/posts/omelette-146404863
#travel #hotel #hotels #breakfast #food
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/643/517/341/294/894/original/58fc765c0dedd0b5.png

2026-05-26 06:12:12 UTC

Hmm I would have to take issue with the end of that first para. When you're trying to figure out where/when to meet someone, it is ENORMOUSLY more efficient to talk rather than text.
"There is nothing worse you could do to me than call my mobile. When my phone rings, I feel irritation mingled with fear. Nothing good ever comes from a phone call, and importantly, a phone call does not achieve anything that a text can’t do faster and with less impost."
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-don-t-make-phone-calls-even-in-an-emergency-why-you-should-never-ring-someone-under-40-20260430-p5zsoo.html

2026-05-26 05:57:28 UTC

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Seems a bit exhausting to me, to always be playing the role of the Main Character in your own ongoing drama.
#Melbourne #photography

2026-05-26 05:56:43 UTC

Sitting in Carlton Gardens, watching a young person posing on a bench with the Royal Exhibition Building in the background, for a phone set up on a tripod.
I wonder if this sort of compulsive self-portraiture will fade with age, or if it's just how photography will be from now on - always with the photographer posing in the picture?
#Melbourne #photography

2026-05-26 00:31:59 UTC

New at my Patreon... At a piano bar, a stranger asked me if I used a generative AI app to write my travel articles. When I reacted with bemusement, along the lines of "Why would I?", she was similarly bemused. This is why I think generative AI is both unethical and irredeemably derivative, especially for travel writing:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/at-dead-end-and-159155954
#AI #TravelWriting #Writing
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2026-05-25 23:16:24 UTC

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I mean, who cares? How is any of that a human achievement?

2026-05-25 22:56:22 UTC

Toasty. Not that high by Australian standards, but nothing over there is built to cope with anything above 25°.
"Crowds have packed English beaches over the May long weekend and a heatwave has gripped large swaths of Europe, providing a foretaste of what is expected to be another extreme northern hemisphere summer."
#UK #weather https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/uk-wilts-under-brutal-spring-heat-as-records-set-to-tumble-20260525-p600e3.html

2026-05-25 07:54:55 UTC

Saw this lady at NGV International on Saturday. I hear you, Weeping Woman, I hear you.
#Melbourne #art
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2026-05-25 01:14:09 UTC

Hi all. I've just downloaded Feedly in order to follow RSS feeds for the first time in 15 years. Can you recommend sites worth following? Not news, but opinion, arts, culture, trains, travel, Melbourne would be good.
#rss #blog #blogs

2026-05-22 07:54:57 UTC

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Thanks for all your suggestions! In the end @npub1jrk…mxg8 chose the kinako cream cheese & sea salt, and the aka shiso; and I chose the houji cooki & cream, and the double sesame swirl. All delicious! Here's a photo:
#gelato #gelati #Japanese #Melbourne #icecream
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/617/149/980/341/313/original/a070b60a290cc2f7.jpeg

2026-05-22 06:51:36 UTC

We're watching the final part of Good Omens, and @npub1jrk…mxg8 has popped out to Hareruya Pantry to pick up some Japanese gelati to eat during the second half.
Which two flavours would you choose?
#icecream #gelato #gelati #Japan #Japanese #Melbourne
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/616/900/946/271/097/original/9b5b6712341e926b.jpeg

2026-05-20 02:53:17 UTC

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What do we think of Bluebird Cafe? https://maps.app.goo.gl/2iiw7KKuvgobDj5Q9

2026-05-20 02:37:23 UTC

I'm catching trains from Canberra to Melbourne in late June, with a 90-minute gap at breakfast time in Goulburn. Any tips for a Goulburn breakfast café within walk of the station?

2026-05-19 07:06:47 UTC

This pair of street signs amuses me. The street name was changed to Southbank Boulevard around 1989 - I think everyone probably knows by now. :)
#Melbourne
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/599/973/777/615/821/original/1d27d110c04b620f.jpeg

2026-05-19 06:47:58 UTC

I've always liked this building near St Kilda Junction (excuse the Batman TV show angle, I was shooting it backwards through a tram window)
#Melbourne
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/599/899/676/504/046/original/7d89d8b02b9d51ed.jpeg

2026-05-19 04:28:49 UTC

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Well I'm sorry but Chadstone was horrible, kinda a brightly illuminated version of Dante's Nine Circles of Hell. Awful to navigate, but of course that's the point.
So annoying to *still* not have an Apple Store in the Melbourne CBD. I know we chased off the one they wanted to put in Fed Square (one of the things Twitter was actually useful for), but that was fair enough. Apple should stop pouting and choose a CBD location.
#Melbourne #mall

2026-05-19 03:06:50 UTC

I'm at Chadstone Shopping Centre! First time in years. Very much terra incognito for me. But I need to go to an Apple Store, and it's bus replacements to Southland today so this was just as easy (or difficult).
#Melbourne #mall
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/599/030/214/309/550/original/83669db415d3faff.jpeg

2026-05-18 07:11:29 UTC

Crafty @npub1jrk…mxg8 crocheted a stress-relieving octopus and made me promise to give him a hug during the day. Very soothing.
#craft #crochet
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/594/329/908/407/341/original/f53f2986a9722c9a.jpeg

2026-05-18 04:57:16 UTC

The good thing about thinking I had jury duty this week (I've since been excused) is that I knuckled down yesterday to write this week's Patreon posts in advance.
Sneak preview: tomorrow's post is about the unlikely back story of the gorgeous locomotive you can see in the photo below. If you'd like to read all about it, join my happy group of patrons now at this link: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards
#travel #TravelWriter #TravelWriting #train #trains
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/593/802/136/015/063/original/7a03209fd6ef68f0.jpeg

2026-05-18 00:17:28 UTC

Curious thing today in The Age – there's a story with a photo of the Lord Mayor in Beijing, which echoes the famous meme photo of former Premier Dan Andrews in Beijing. But the photo editor seems unaware of the connection. Curious. I mean, the Lord Mayor must have been posing deliberately.
#vicpol
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2026-05-17 23:07:09 UTC

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Well that was quick. The lady at the Juries Victoria reception desk gave me one last chance to duck out from jury duty for a year - as I'm self-employed - and I took it. Interesting as it might have been, I do have work to do. Also I hadn't quite registered that you have to be available for two weeks. I'll do it when I'm retired.
#Melbourne #coffee

2026-05-17 22:10:55 UTC

I'm doing jury duty today, so I headed straight to Patricia, just behind the Supreme Court. Haven't had coffee here for ages, but it is excellent.
#Melbourne #coffee
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2026-05-17 00:35:42 UTC

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Appalling. The EBU needs to reform the voting system so it can't be gamed by public campaigns, and voters who don't even watch the performances.

2026-05-16 23:04:46 UTC

BULGARIA WON! Thank god. If Israel won under current circumstances, I think it would break Eurovision.
Anyway Bulgaria deserve it, I don't think they've won before either. Sofia is a great place, will be a fun host city.
#Eurovision

2026-05-16 03:27:18 UTC

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The policy should be that the statues of long-serving Premiers go up AFTER THEY'VE DIED. Give time for any controversy to die down, and for the historians to analyse the era.

2026-05-13 23:58:37 UTC

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Could you manage it? ;)

2026-05-13 23:09:57 UTC

New at my Patreon... I saw this sign in Barcelona within a shop serving hot chocolate and churros, the long thin doughnuts which are popular with that beverage in Spain. But is it good value for a litre?
See the full photo and read the post at this link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/image-of-week-of-157935525
#chocolate #Spain #Barcelona
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2026-05-12 01:48:42 UTC

I'm glad it's not just me who hates the murky blue-grey colour grading that seems to be applied to everything nowadays. Awful.
"A 'blue-grey' aesthetic has recently taken over our screens, washing out colours in major blockbusters and television. Some said F1 looked clinical, almost as if it were an advertisement for Apple TV. Meanwhile, both Wicked films were criticised for looking flat and homogenous, especially in comparison to the vibrant Technicolor in The Wizard of Oz."
#tv #film #movies https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/the-devil-wears-prada-it-s-just-a-shame-we-can-t-really-see-it-20260505-p5ztsx.html

2026-05-11 22:11:57 UTC

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I don’t think I've ever seen that weather forecast icon before. "Cool with a chance of cotton wool."
#Melbourne #Weather
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/558/234/501/479/491/original/0b92ea357fab46bb.jpeg

2026-05-11 22:05:12 UTC

It is highly misty out there today! Mysterious Melbourne.
#Melbourne #Weather
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/558/207/965/092/434/original/6d402b479c135482.jpeg

2026-05-10 23:38:21 UTC

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What's the song like?

2026-05-10 22:49:17 UTC

Let's be honest, most hotel buffet breakfasts are poor to average; all those trays of horrible scrambled eggs sweating in bain-maries. The best option IMO is the hybrid setup wherein cold dishes are set out as a buffet, but the hot dishes are à la carte.
"The buffet breakfast in a four-star hotel or better has long been theatrical. Buffets aren’t just about food and nutrition, they’re about choice, indulgence and psychological reinforcement. It’s a reminder that you’re away from home, and restraint is off the menu.
"But change is in the air. In many hotels, and especially at the upper end, the breakfast buffet has been reimagined. The offerings are fewer and hot food is cooked to order. It’s not a revolution, but it is telling. In some quarters, the hotel breakfast buffet is being recalibrated.
"Driving the change is an acknowledgement that breakfast buffets are hugely wasteful. Accor chief Sebastien Bazin has argued that the industry needs to rethink buffet-style dining due to the extraordinary amount of food it throws away, as the buffet generates more than twice the food waste of a la carte meals. Bazin has been outspoken about reducing buffets and moving toward more controlled, plated or hybrid formats."
#hotel #hotels #food #breakfast #travel https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/why-hotel-breakfast-buffets-are-shrinking-and-where-to-find-the-world-s-best-20260508-p5zv19.html

2026-05-09 03:27:42 UTC

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Hope you had a fun time in Melbourne :)

2026-05-09 03:10:39 UTC

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All the media should walk out when they do that. That'd stop them very quickly, I imagine.

2026-05-09 03:08:53 UTC

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Definitely a case of "Be careful what you wish for" re immigration. Such obvious scapegoating. We need immigrants, and it's not their fault not enough housing is built.

2026-05-08 00:45:23 UTC

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Congrats! Going out for dinner to celebrate?

2026-05-05 23:20:58 UTC

Now free for all to read... In December I wrote about the opening of Melbourne's new Metro Tunnel beneath the city centre - focusing in particular on the art within its station walls:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/melbourne-art-on-145174317
#Melbourne #train #trains #station #railway
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/524/537/186/978/729/original/c0b406a503322f11.png

2026-05-05 23:07:25 UTC

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True because we've never had many Mexican immigrants. But it's getting better.

2026-05-05 23:05:39 UTC

Oh that's *my* story! Now that's more like it.
https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/travelling-solo-is-ironically-the-least-lonely-way-to-travel-20260423-p5zqjy.html
#travel
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2026-05-05 22:59:00 UTC

In that case, could we spend the money instead on a high-speed train between Melbourne and Sydney?
"The final stages of the botched Inland Rail freight link from Parkes in NSW to near Brisbane have been shelved indefinitely after warnings that the cost of the entire 1700-kilometre line would blow out to well over $45 billion and take until at least 2036 to complete."
#train #trains #Australia #railway https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inland-rail-s-final-stages-shelved-after-shock-45-billion-price-tag-revealed-20260505-p5ztxb.html

2026-05-04 23:08:06 UTC

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Useful. I do that too sometimes, I'll be just round the corner having coffee. We have an app connected to the front door intercom so we can see who's there and speak to them, which helps.

2026-05-04 23:04:32 UTC

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Was that the 1/6 tram route? I know the 19 route in Sydney Road gets snarled a lot.

2026-05-04 23:02:04 UTC

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Looks tempting, right?

2026-05-04 22:56:16 UTC

This new Mexican place in Brunswick sounds great.
"When was the last time I had much to say about a bowl of guacamole? I can’t remember. Usually it’s fine but unremarkable, or bad but in a boring, watery, too-salty kind of way. At Mercadito, it’s presented in a bowl topped with lines of chopped red onion, coriander and green chillies; you mix it up and pile it onto chips, the ratio of fatty avocado to onions and herbs just right.
"Quite a few dishes on this menu aren’t yet common in Melbourne, and certainly aren’t done as well as they are here. A shrimp tostada is all bouncy prawns, crunchy lettuce and tart green pico de gallo piled onto crisp cracker-like tortillas. Aguachile made with snapper marinated in lime juice, avocado and cucumber is balanced, zippy fun."
https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/this-mexican-food-is-so-good-i-want-to-go-out-on-the-street-and-start-dragging-people-in-20260501-p5zt0g.html
#Melbourne #Mexican #food #restaurant cc [@sister_ratched](https://toot.community/@sister_ratched )

2026-05-04 04:18:32 UTC

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No idea. Has to be a May the Fourth thing, right?

2026-05-04 02:14:53 UTC

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Anyway this is our now beautifully sorted kitchen bottom drawer, which contains hardware and related stuff. The neatness won't last, but it's extraordinarily pleasing to get something – anything – in perfect order for a brief span, given the state of the world.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/513/891/267/746/102/original/e3d6d302c552c474.jpeg

2026-05-04 01:43:02 UTC

Yesterday I sorted out the bottom kitchen drawer for the first time in 23 years, and discovered we own 19 (!) Allen keys of various sizes. Just imagine how many millions of these must be stashed away around the world.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/513/766/090/713/065/original/b0a33f6bc6bf8e4b.jpeg

2026-05-04 00:55:25 UTC

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Yeah that's it, I'm not interested enough to make an effort. I've noticed recently that cafes whose only online presence is IG seem to have given up too.

2026-05-03 23:37:02 UTC

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It is awful. I maintain my IG account for work reasons but refuse to post more than the minimum as the algorithm hides everything anyway. That's partly why I never want algorithms at work here.

2026-05-03 23:14:07 UTC

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I visited Malacca some years ago, it's a lovely city. Was serially held over centuries as colonial possessions by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, so has an interesting mix of architecture.
#Malaysia #trade #history
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2026-05-03 23:01:05 UTC

Don't know if this is paywalled, but it looks delicious - many recipes for beans, lentils and chickpeas:
https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/18-healthy-meals-to-make-with-a-can-of-beans-lentils-or-chickpeas-20260429-p5zrz1.html
#food #recipe

2026-05-03 22:54:32 UTC

Interesting piece about Malacca and its trading history, connected to modern-day events.
"If you were to stand here for a year with binoculars, you would see a quarter of global seaborne trade pass by. More crude oil comes through here each year than even the Strait of Hormuz.
"For centuries, the 1100-kilometre passage bound by Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia – only a couple of kilometres wide at its narrowest – has been the great maritime link between East and West.
"In this late-afternoon panorama, we count eight container ships near and far, each heading towards Singapore, old Malacca town’s modern-day successor as South-East Asia’s major trade emporium.
"Some of the cargo may be heading to a store or pump near you – more than 40 per cent of Australia’s imports and about two-thirds of its exports pass through the strait."
#Malaysia #trade #history
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-iran-war-has-brought-another-vital-shipping-lane-into-sharper-focus-20260429-p5zsc1.html

2026-05-01 05:56:24 UTC

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Nice pics! Enjoyed showing you around, always fun to ogle some quality transport infrastructure. :)

2026-04-30 05:56:43 UTC

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Seems ironic to be reading 'Life After Cars' in a Fitzroy bar while trams regularly slide past a few metres away. But as I walked here I passed obscenely huge SUV-type cars barely fitting into parking spaces - even in this human-scale, highly walkable neighbourhood. They get everywhere.
Cc @npub1thu…8zxf #TheWarOnCars
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/492/114/294/437/653/original/1ab2855f9fd3c39e.jpeg

2026-04-30 05:39:48 UTC

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A point made in 'Life After Cars' is that back in the 1920-30s there was a big backlash against the upheaval cars were causing as they took over cities, particularly re the huge road toll.
The authors mention - surprisingly - an early Superman comic book story which had the Man of Steel pitted against irresponsible drivers and dodgy car manufacturers. I had a look in the DC app, and it was there! So here are a few choice panels from Action Comics #12 (1939):
#TheWarOnCars
#Superman #comics #ComicBooks
Cc @npub1thu…8zxf
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/492/047/519/788/133/original/19ad7b2c6ad29cee.jpeg
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