Dread Pirate (Tom) Roberts

#Canberra resident
Heavy #Metal fan
Parent
Vegetarian, with Vegan aspirations.
In Owner/Ownee relationship with cat (exact role in dispute)

Public Key

npub1rdjqsy5t9ff2ranvp9ah97rld74wuwl7fdhzgh5gzh884skaur0s504p0g

NIP-05 Address

troberts_at_theblower.au@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqspkeqgz29j554p7ekqj7mjlplkl2hw80lykm3yt6yptnn6ctw7phcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dswmla8q

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1rdjqsy5t9ff2ranvp9ah97rld74wuwl7fdhzgh5gzh884skaur0s504p0g

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Last Notes

2026-05-15 04:41:28 UTC

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According the recent articles (Like this one https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/15/rentvesting-investor-australia-federal-budget-2026-housing ) it's for people who can't afford to buy the house they want in the nice area, but can afford an investment loan.
"Even though I had $70,000 (my entire life’s savings) and a permanent full-time job, like many others at the time, I couldn’t secure a loan."
"My only real option? An investment loan. The interest rates would be higher, I’d still need to sign up for lenders’ mortgage insurance and pay even more money to the bank, but I’d get a foot on to the housing ladder."
This seems illogical to me. That buying property for investment is either than buying to live in, given the same initial conditions.
#Auspol

2026-05-15 04:01:14 UTC

I would ask someone to explain how 'rent-vesting' works, but I think my brain would explode.
#AusPol

2026-05-02 07:01:39 UTC

Pippin has spotted something extraordinarily interesting out the nearby window.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/503/687/913/034/600/original/d47ee5cab52f476f.jpeg

2026-05-01 11:47:30 UTC

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I'm not actually sure I still like For All Mankind.
The first two seasons had some incredible nail biting stuff.
And then the third season had some crazy stuff, but maybe too crazy.
And season 4 and 5 seem like "Society sucks... but also on Mars!".
Maybe I'm being unkind, but as I said I'm not sure.
#ForAllMankimd

2026-05-01 11:42:45 UTC

A bunch of folk are tooting about For All Mankind and I am currently 3 episodes behind.

2026-04-28 11:47:50 UTC

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When I book, I will write "Choo choo, or no payment!".
(I'm sure this will stand up in court)

2026-04-28 11:05:57 UTC

Yo #Canberra !
Is catching the train to Sydney fun?
e.g. For a weekend return trip.

2026-04-28 06:45:17 UTC

"What are you doing?"
... I ask the cat as it tries to eat my child's birth certificate.

2026-04-24 13:52:44 UTC

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Deep Impact VS Armageddon in 1998 is probably the main culprit.
The Illusionist VS The Prestige in 2006 is another example.

2026-04-23 09:40:15 UTC

Guy at work was telling me how much they loved Nine Inch Noize at Coachella.
Trent is the cool uncle of the music industry.
#NIN

2026-04-22 09:21:50 UTC

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Cults of 2026 are not worth a damn compared to their predecessors.

2026-04-22 09:04:59 UTC

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2026-04-21 07:38:46 UTC

I did actually think it was Wednesday today.

2026-04-21 07:33:15 UTC

5:30 is a bit early...?

2026-04-18 05:04:46 UTC

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Butter menthols!

2026-04-16 15:38:20 UTC

That was a pretty damn good lozenge I just had.
#lozenge

2026-04-15 23:23:31 UTC

Everyone is sick here.
(except the cat)

2026-04-15 09:09:32 UTC

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And I am standing out on the street, and nothing’s going on :(

2026-04-13 11:23:37 UTC

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The other vocalist there is Mariqueen. Married to Trent and mother of their 5 children.

2026-04-13 10:26:13 UTC

Ok... Nine Inch Noize...
I've seen the three songs they have up on YT.
Impressive stage and performance. Amazing light show.
Trent is still fully engaged as a performer.
And the music... eh... like the embellishments make it about 70% as good as the originals.
Or that's my opinion at least.
#NIN #NineInchNoize

2026-04-13 07:45:08 UTC

Enhance.
Enhance.
Enhance.
…
Enhance.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/396/270/991/036/203/original/c54a6ee5788713af.jpeg
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/396/270/992/626/730/original/e7bc847da9c5a37b.jpeg
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/396/271/005/169/839/original/8a2e567ab2c3b6aa.jpeg
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/396/271/012/617/164/original/b2e176c533d67219.jpeg

2026-04-12 20:47:09 UTC

Monday Pippin is looking forward to realising his Monday dreams.
#CatsOfMastodon
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/393/682/030/849/759/original/030eb74316148b6d.jpeg

2026-04-12 06:32:33 UTC

I turned the corner on my sickness yesterday.
Eldest child has not. Not by a long shot.
Lots and lots of coughing.

2026-04-10 22:12:23 UTC

NAB is here
🤔

2026-04-10 09:00:54 UTC

Re last toot...
I do love the wikipedia page about the "Ship's cat"
Just a whole bunch of cute photos and (mostly) humorous stories about seafaring cats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship's_cat

2026-04-09 21:10:47 UTC

Woo!
I feel worse than yesterday!

2026-04-09 08:07:27 UTC

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Hey! Yeah!
(yeah yeah)

2026-04-09 08:05:58 UTC

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?"

2026-04-08 11:42:58 UTC

The actual neighbours have returned home.
How awkward!
Giving up your home for an evening cult meeting, only to have noone turn up!

2026-04-08 09:36:11 UTC

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Nope. Though the neighbours house is pitch black... so who knows.

2026-04-08 08:59:51 UTC

Quiet.
A little too quiet.
(For a Wednesday)

2026-04-05 08:03:26 UTC

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OMG that's impressive!

2026-04-05 07:53:52 UTC

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I have at times. Some of the quotes are crazy tho.

2026-04-05 07:44:28 UTC

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I probably need to actually read Moby Dick.

2026-04-05 07:39:20 UTC

I was feeling a bit unmoored in the current moment.
I have put on 'Leviathan' by Mastodon, which at the very least says "Murder the big fish" as a goal for life.
#mastodon #mobydick #leviathan

2026-04-05 06:20:43 UTC

As I understand it...
Good Friday: Jesus crucified
Easter Saturday: Not much happened
Easter Sunday: Jesus rose from the dead!
Easter Monday: Jesus landed a 720 degree spin on a halfpipe, and ascended to heaven.
Yeah?

2026-04-05 02:25:35 UTC

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Though I do recall Bernard mentioning how people can be one health crisis away from destitution.
Which I think is true. Even if the public health system will treat a sudden illness, people that have no ability to build up substantial savings and have a mortgage will be in massive trouble if they can no longer work due to health.

2026-04-05 02:22:19 UTC

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I think I missed that comment.
She mentioned talking to teachers and nurses who needed a second job to get by, and people sleeping in cars. So I got the impression that she was talking about people who the social contract had failed in a substantial manner.

2026-04-05 00:11:24 UTC

Interesting video from Crikey on the meaning of Left and Right in Australian politics.
Crystal Andrews, Bernard Keane, and Alex Fein (RedBridge polling)
They are talking about how Gen X have a memory of life before wholesale privatisation.
Alex Fein in particular has some striking things to about how the capital class who have assets, and the gap to those who don't.
https://youtu.be/2a98sN9hLFk
#AusPol

2026-04-04 19:49:20 UTC

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He apparently forgot that I told him.

2026-04-04 14:28:47 UTC

I'm up to collect my extra hour when it arrives.

2026-04-04 07:55:40 UTC

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Considering the cat tries to gaslight me everyday about dinner being served at least an hour earlier than scheduled, I can deal with the one per year change in dinner time.

2026-04-04 07:25:47 UTC

When do you adjust the clocks for Daylight Savings?

2026-04-04 06:45:28 UTC

I've told Pippin cat that breakfast will be served an hour later tomorrow.
So he knows now.
Because I told him.

2026-04-03 07:32:46 UTC

Pippin cat senses something on the wind.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/339/607/498/276/347/original/d9648bbca6328b17.jpeg

2026-04-02 10:17:15 UTC

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Yeah... this particular one is currently employed as an auto mechanic and is awfully self-sufficient.

2026-04-02 09:38:02 UTC

It has taken me a good while to get an effective sleep pattern. Especially with 5 AM chaos murder fluff bag going off.
Teenagers returning home at 3 AM is a late game difficulty spike I'm not enjoying.

2026-04-02 09:01:06 UTC

But seriously, the LNP is fucked with Taylor.
They'll not get the teal seats back.
#AusPol

2026-04-02 07:01:30 UTC

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So that's what they call 'MoonScrolling'.

2026-04-01 09:54:59 UTC

Tony Barry is closely associated with the LNP, but it's hard to disagree with this...
"It was an Instagram reel, not a national address. Albanese's only message was not to panic, making it a content free address," Barry said.
"But Albanese doesn't seem to realise that voters no longer have any trust in institutions for that kind of message to work anymore, which is one of the reasons for the surge in support for One Nation."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-01/anthony-albanese-national-address-fuel-crisis-iran/106522770
#auspol

2026-03-30 08:51:00 UTC

This may offend some people, but I feel sorry for people who loved The Beatles then kept buying their solo albums.

2026-03-30 08:07:23 UTC

Neo Liberalism is about to explode!

2026-03-29 08:16:51 UTC

There was an incident last night where a child (sigh... "child") returned home from a party at 3:15 AM and left a door open.
A certain white and ginger cat ran out the front door, ran around for a bit, ran back inside, ran all over the furniture at top speed, ran out the front door again, had a good roll about on the front porch, then got picked up, and put back to bed.

2026-03-29 03:27:45 UTC

Sunday Pippin.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/310/329/810/594/546/original/a464671171c34d87.jpeg

2026-03-27 11:45:06 UTC

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Yes, obviously arggh, swab the decks, and set sail for the high seas, etc.
But it would nice if society could organise a way to enjoy artistic creations, and also have creators paid for their labour.

2026-03-27 11:42:50 UTC

Hot take:
I care less about the price of streaming services, and more that if you want to watch a specific thing it may not be available at all.

2026-03-25 10:48:21 UTC

I'm feeling dirty at the idea the neighbourhood cult could be a bog-standard pyramid scheme.
How fucking gauche...

2026-03-25 10:30:26 UTC

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This seems likely.
The relationship between the home owners (a couple with a young child) and NAB is unclear. NAB visits occasionally out of session, and they left their NSB Landcruiser at the residence for about 4 weeks over Christmas.
But I can say with near certain confidence that the other attendees this evening have never attended before.

2026-03-25 10:19:59 UTC

Ok, usual bit about how we should all move on etc blah..
But here's the thing!
NAB turned up early and left first. Probably exactly 3 hours after they arrived.
The next two turned up 15 minutes later, and left 15 minutes later.
The final, tardy acolyte (Jello Dude), was there a full hour late to arrive and is still there.
So is this a 3 hour duration gig? Where you turn up and like do ... things... for 3 hours and then get out?
What takes exactly 3 hours to accomplish?
(Just when I think I'm out, the cult's oddness drags me back in...)

2026-03-25 08:09:01 UTC

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lol
Occasionally Pippin randomly turns the TV when noone else is in the room!

2026-03-25 07:40:07 UTC

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Seriously tho, I have very little to add week by week.
NAB is clearly high up in the echelons of whatever hierarchy is going on.
Other that it's a bunch of new nerds every week, most carrying a little book into their shindig.

2026-03-25 07:30:30 UTC

Find something in your life that means as much as whatever is going on across the road means to one specific NAB employee.

2026-03-25 07:18:05 UTC

Pippin.
As far as I can tell, he managed to get his cat toy/wand up on his tower, then lay on it as a sign of victory.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/288/586/517/866/694/original/d7ec464d6fddad0e.jpeg

2026-03-25 06:06:26 UTC

So what god awful thing has happened in the world whilst I've been at work today?
(No-one needs to answer this)
#UsPol #AusPol

2026-03-24 08:17:14 UTC

Reminder that there is at least one politician worth a damn...
David Pocock speaking very emphatically about the harm caused by lack of gambling reform.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/video/2026/mar/24/david-pocock-gives-furious-speech-saying-the-government-has-failed-on-gambling-advertising-video
#AusPol

2026-03-24 06:46:41 UTC

The ABC has a link to an article with the text:
"Oil prices soar again after TACO Tuesday proves unpalatable."
#UsPol #AusPol

2026-03-22 08:11:12 UTC

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Ok, I'm ready to talk about this.
Back in January, I woke up in the middle of the night, and decided I was hungry, and made some toasted cheese sandwiches.
I woke up the next morning feeling extremely ill, with massive vertigo like I had never experienced before. The world was spinning constanty and I could barely walk. After about 30 minutes of chaos I vomitted my guts up.
After some more sleep, I woke up and went to make some vegemite toast, using the same bread I had made my cheese sandwiches earlier that morning
Totally mouldy.
Don't eat mouldy bread folks.

2026-03-22 02:53:55 UTC

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I approve.

2026-03-21 09:26:49 UTC

Once again democracy has solved the troubles of this world.
Now I indulge in Pokémon and/or Heavy Metal for the rest of the evening.

2026-03-21 08:57:47 UTC

It's hard to get too angry at SA Labor when the dude on the panel is named 'Tom'.
#AusPol #SAPol

2026-03-21 08:26:14 UTC

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TBH a 25% first preference vote is huge.
I think all the other contenders need to consider carefully how they engage that block of voters.

2026-03-21 08:16:25 UTC

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Yeah… I think it’s interesting because the 2PP seems unpredictable when 25% are voting for an outsider party like One Nation.

2026-03-21 08:05:45 UTC

The ABC has Casey Briggs on … who is in no way standing in the shadow of any particularly notable Australian electoral individuals.
#AusPol #SAPol

2026-03-21 06:38:36 UTC

?
#Ducks

2026-03-21 06:24:29 UTC

IMO the most interesting thing about the SA election will be whether the One Nation vote holds up in any real sense with an actual vote.
#AusPol #SAPol

2026-03-21 05:51:26 UTC

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If Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are the A tier 80s movie stars, then Chuck Norris is like a B-.

2026-03-21 04:47:18 UTC

I don't have strong thoughts about Chuck Norris. I do find enjoyment in the general ridiculousness of the '80s Action Hero' trope. His fight with Bruce Lee in 'Way Of The Dragon" is legendary.
But if I can draw attention to one thing about Chuck Norris it is the poster for "Invasion U.S.A.".
What on earth is he doing with the gun in his left hand?
#chucknorris
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/265/337/961/256/848/original/164b2e20960dace3.jpeg

2026-03-21 02:05:42 UTC

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I hope he finds a good alternative.

2026-03-20 20:34:56 UTC

Interesting article about Atlassian and the experiences of staff.
My view is the company is probably borked and will only get worse. They have clearly been on a downward trajectory for a few years now.
The pivot-to-AI will probably backfire too.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/21/atlassian-cuts-layoffs-staff-now-looking-for-work-ai
#Atlassian

2026-03-20 06:41:41 UTC

One of the subtle joys of being a Heavy Metal fan is headbanging in the kitchen whilst cooking dinner and just loving it.
#Metal

2026-03-19 11:03:08 UTC

49, eh?

2026-03-19 05:55:13 UTC

What the fuck? We have seemingly replaced one dodgy bureaucrat with another!
"Dr [Margot] McNeill resigned from TAFE NSW, where she was chief product and quality officer, in May last year, and was announced as the new CIT chief executive in June."
The position in Canberra was vacant after the institute's former chief executive, Leanne Cover, was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by the ACT Integrity Commission.
...
That investigation concluded late last year, finding that Dr McNeill had breached TAFE NSW's code of conduct, and that her employment file would be updated to reflect a "termination" in place of a resignation."
#Canberra
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-19/cit-unaware-of-misconduct-investigation-into-ceo-chair-says/106472468

2026-03-09 09:25:35 UTC

I have a little voice in my head telling me I need to get back into drawing regularly.
I'm particularly proud of 'Noirwhal'.
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/198/492/141/083/600/original/0ffdfbdf41c4b814.jpeg

2026-03-08 09:28:03 UTC

The real danger of AI is *not* that it will become sentient and start a Terminator war.
The real danger is some foolish humans will put an unreliable machine in a key decision making role, and then a stupid decision will get made without any real human consideration about the consequences.
#AI

2026-03-07 23:27:27 UTC

Watching The Sunday Shot.
Michael West and Scott Burchill are guests.
That will be my politics for the day.
#TheSundayShot #ausPol

2026-03-07 10:47:34 UTC

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True.
The cat is usually deliberate in the sounds they make (usually at dinner time).
The random crashes still surprise me.

2026-03-07 10:42:25 UTC

It's always disconcerting when you live alone and hear loud, sudden noises.
(Cat was attcking the clothes drying rack... for reasons.)

2026-03-07 07:12:21 UTC

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Just some folk... turning up week after week, and sometimes occasionally on Saturdays.
I don't know if I care that much.
They probably don't even listen to Japanese Power Metal.

2026-03-07 07:06:49 UTC

Rain update:
No rain.
North #Canberra

2026-03-07 06:30:10 UTC

… no more!
You have to agree that hanging on every single gossipy update is no good for us.
So… I think it’s best we all just ignore it and got on with our lives.
(Especially given the dynamite events of today…)

2026-03-07 05:15:46 UTC

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Belco tooters reported a bit of rain. Seems very localised.

2026-03-07 04:04:42 UTC

Rain is forecast in Canberra...
https://cdn.theblower.au/media_attachments/files/116/185/906/658/024/386/original/4bc8873e399f2fdd.png

2026-03-04 07:42:23 UTC

The NAB land cruiser has been parked on our side of the street.
This wasn't part of the deal.

2026-03-04 06:25:58 UTC

I'm pretty cool with spiders.
Snakes are a problem tho. I'm not cool with danger noodles.

2026-03-04 06:18:28 UTC

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He left through the passenger side door.
We were watching it play it out from our office window. But we didn't understand the spider-context, so it was very confusing.

2026-03-04 05:04:30 UTC

A guy at the Uni of Cbr carpark abandoned his car at the entryway, because there was a giant huntsman on the outside of the driver's side window.
He was apparently afraid of winding down the window to activate the entry boom gate.
Luckily my work colleague was in the car behind him, and helped remove the spider with a small branch.

2026-03-01 22:31:27 UTC

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The economics of the companies providing the AI models are deeply flawed.
I think there is a high chance of a market correction around the end of the year.
There's no chance of a super-intelligence anytime soon, and what we've seen so far will collapse because it's not profitable at all.

2026-03-01 21:38:30 UTC

Fucking Alan Kohler... the ABC does the public a disservice by printing his garbage.
"It isn't just that AI could take your job, or put millions of people on welfare, or give us infinite free software, or whatever. It's that for the first time in all of recorded history, humans no longer are — or soon no longer will be — the most intelligent beings on this planet, in any meaningful functional sense of the word." (Alan quoting some guy Noah Smith)
"any meaningful functional sense"
... someone show Alan the carwash video.
#AI #AlanKohler

2026-02-27 21:32:03 UTC

Apparently there's this thing called humidity.
#Canberra

2026-02-27 11:38:22 UTC

It appears North Canberra has intimidated the storm into non-existence.