deirdres

Survived 40 years in tech, been having opinions online even longer. She/her

website: https://www.beginningwithi.com/
my life: https://www.beginningwithi.com/autobiography/
my life in tech: https://www.beginningwithi.com/my-life-in-tech/

Public Key

npub1cz38740wvs36pzk373ynp8u9l4pcpywsuep39h5zawy5d2k7p7aqpza4zk

NIP-05 Address

deirdres_at_aus.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsvpgnl2hhxggaq3tglgjfsn7zl6suqj8gwvscjm6pwhz2x4t0qlwspz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsu5mkuu

Publishing to

atlas.nostr.land

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1cz38740wvs36pzk373ynp8u9l4pcpywsuep39h5zawy5d2k7p7aqpza4zk

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Last Notes

2026-07-21 06:22:47 UTC

The local lorikeets are becoming braver. As long as they don’t become brats like the cockatoos… #australianwildlife #birds
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2026-01-25 01:42:48 UTC

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More zins:
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2026-01-25 01:40:59 UTC

Evening zinnias #bloomscrolling
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2026-01-18 00:20:09 UTC

It now requires a video to show the extent of the butternut plant, and this doesn’t show at least two other vines that are drooping over the edge of the terrace #gardening
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2026-01-14 21:29:21 UTC

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Lorikeets are small but aggressive. The king parrots are particularly timid, but all birds even cockatoos give way to the lorikeets #AustralianBirds #parrots
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/115/895/571/108/857/630/original/66247fc3111d3fc8.mp4

2026-01-14 21:25:39 UTC

This morning’s visitors. I only bring out birdseed for the king parrots, then the lorikeet butted in #australianbirds
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2025-12-22 00:53:17 UTC

In past years I have tried to do all the pruning etc one is supposed to do for optimum yield. Tomatoes in particular did not respond well. So this year I’ll try “fuck it gardening” (TM pending) — let the plants do what they like and see how it goes. #gardening #GardeningAustralia
Today’s progress: 1. a self-seeded largish tomato, 2. a plot containing corn, tomatillos, zinnias, cosmos, and a lot of purslane underneath. 3.zinnias, purslane, and corn
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2025-12-13 01:59:02 UTC

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Shubhashish Bhutiani is a fellow alum of Woodstock School, look for his first (short) film, Kush. While in school he starred alongside my daughter in a Bollywood-style production of the Taming of the Shrew - he he’s a good actor as well!

2025-12-13 01:46:54 UTC

Not sure if this is the company office, but Niimi makes coffee cups, and other dishware. This building is in the Kappabashi kitchen and restaurant supply District. #tokyo
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2025-11-13 10:46:51 UTC

I am thrilled to report that I’m now an Australian citizen!
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2025-10-31 07:00:49 UTC

Purslane has been growing in our yard since we got here, but we only started eating it a year or two later. Great in salads and full of stuff that’s good for you! #gardening
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2025-10-16 23:54:24 UTC

A couple of years ago I bought one dragonfruit plant. It grew, and multiplied via side sprouts and breakage from my mishandling. A few months back I finally, laboriously built a trellis out of very heavy, weatherproof timber, and moved it, also laboriously, into its place in the garden. Dragonfruit needs a heavy trellis because it grows up and over and must start drooping down before it will produce flowers and fruit. I put multiple plants in around the trellis and they are starting to recover and grow. I assume it will be years before I see any fruit. #Gardening.
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2025-10-16 23:44:14 UTC

The rainbow lorikeets are ecstatic that the bottlebrushes are blooming. They don’t seem to have learned “don’t talk with your mouth full”. They are nectar eaters, you can search out an image of the tongue they have evolved to facilitate this. #Gardening #GardeningAustralia #AustralianBirds.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/115/386/493/826/146/154/original/517e87f65969aa39.mp4

2025-09-03 22:40:13 UTC

A pair of good omens visited this morning.
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2025-08-07 09:50:17 UTC

Are kids in the rest of the world jealous because Bluey actually lives in Australia? And we have Hammerbarn!
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2025-05-18 02:05:04 UTC

I have an audience for my #lego building #australia #wildlife #cockatoo
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2025-04-26 06:17:08 UTC

Now the cockatoos have developed a taste for my marigolds #australianbirds
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2025-03-16 23:44:00 UTC

Last night’s cockatoo evensong #australia #birds #cockatoo
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2025-03-15 08:23:00 UTC

Some people have evening cocktails. We have evening cockatoos.
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2025-02-01 00:20:55 UTC

Gina’s declaration. Original art by Vincent Namatjira
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2025-01-26 22:59:50 UTC

Attempt to keep the ripening papayas safe from critters. At least the tree looks fashionable. And it now has a name: Isadora #gardening
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2025-01-22 00:08:49 UTC

Last year there was a (metal) raised bed here layered with sticks, compost, trimmings, and soil. It all compacted down, leaving a low but fertile hump when I removed the bed. Today I bricked the bottom edge to try to keep the good stuff from washing away in the heavy rains we get nowadays. #gardening
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2025-01-21 00:29:45 UTC

My squashes have been producing almost exclusively male flowers. Bro-ism among the cucurbitae? No, lack of nutrients - the good topsoil washes away in the heavy rains we have nowadays. But a few females bloomed and were duly fertilized - scallop squashes starting to grow. Yes, I fertilized them all today. That’s #gardening during #climatechange
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2025-01-18 22:31:09 UTC

I thought calendula was supposed to be easy to grow. It’s taken me 2-3 years and several packets of seeds to finally get 2 plants. This one is getting ready to bloom. I’ll let it go to seed in hopes that its offspring will be better adapted to local conditions. #gardening
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2025-01-18 22:28:52 UTC

Haven’t been observing too closely, but I think these “Strawberry Blonde” marigolds change color over time. #gardening #flowers
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2025-01-10 23:46:36 UTC

This cute little bug is a fungus eating ladybird, which thrives on powdery mildew. Go forth and prosper, friend. #gardening
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2025-01-09 00:16:51 UTC

Madam Kookaburra finds my garden trellis a good spot to survey the garden for edibles (probably small lizards) #GardeningAustralia
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2025-01-09 00:13:40 UTC

#chaosGarden ? I try to keep some order, with mixed success. The very lush cucumber planted is growing next to the worm bin, hence its thriving state #gardening
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2025-01-09 00:06:43 UTC

Lots of daikon radish, planted as a green manure but also edible. Some plants got away from me and are flowering and setting seed. That’s fine - the next crop will be just as good for the soil, and I don’t have to buy seed. #gardening
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2025-01-04 23:09:28 UTC

First tomatillo of the new crop coming along. It’ll be ready to harvest when that outer green husk dries up. #gardening #Garden Australia
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2024-12-22 01:30:55 UTC

Tomatillo flowers are pretty but you can’t usually see them well - they grow facing the ground #gardening #GardeningAustralia
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2024-12-15 03:31:43 UTC

The outdoor Christmas decor i absolutely want (but have not seen for sale)
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2024-12-13 00:17:33 UTC

More sunflowers, along with self-seeded tomatoes, probably more Tiny Toms #gardening
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2024-11-01 06:49:15 UTC

Hey, Aussies, I’ll be in the audience for Q+A Monday night, US election special. Got any questions you’d like me to submit to the panel?

2024-10-11 10:51:37 UTC

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so did I! I scanned the ballot with a cover doc I had to sign saying I was aware my vote would not be anonymous, emailed it to fax@fvap.gov. They faxed it on to my district (Santa Clara county). Got email the next morning: “This is a message from the California Secretary of State on behalf of County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters. Your ballot for the November 5, 2024, General Election was received and counted. Thank you for voting!” Free, fast, and easy.

2024-10-11 04:54:40 UTC

Proud and happy to cast my vote for the candidate who was my first choice in 2020! And thanks to fvap.gov and @npub1ves…f8dd my ballot has already been delivered to and counted by my voting seat.
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2024-10-10 04:05:32 UTC

Cruise ships are ridiculously disproportionate in Sydney Harbour
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2024-08-16 22:40:07 UTC

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Australia’s small population definitely a drawback for would-be criminals

2024-08-16 22:34:44 UTC

Cockatoos heed neither rules nor advice
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2024-08-13 03:09:36 UTC

Getting close to completing this #legobuild
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2024-08-04 01:06:09 UTC

Westfield tower in Sydney lit up green and gold for the Olympics
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2024-07-31 00:55:26 UTC

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Thank you! Lovely to have recommended resources.

2024-07-31 00:31:09 UTC

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online sources report up to 35 years lifespan, though I suspect none have been installed in Aus for that long.

2024-07-30 23:36:25 UTC

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Do you have any thoughts on the lifespan of uPVC in Australian sun?

2024-07-30 22:34:19 UTC

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thanks! Could you tell me an approximate cost per sq m? I’m having trouble getting even a rough idea without (yet) involving a sales process - not currently in the mood to deal with that.

2024-07-30 00:14:57 UTC

As some of you may know, I am married to the world’s expert on computer systems performance, who of course wants insights about what’s going on in our home environment as well. We have temp/humidity sensors in every room and several outside.
As many of you know, Australian houses built before the 90s can be COLD — insulation standards were poor because energy was cheap. This winter has been unusually frigid for much of Australia; our rooms have got as cold as 14C some nights.
Brendan bought a small infrared camera to see where the heat loss is worst. As expected, it’s through the single-glazed windows and their aluminum frames. Should we spent a lot of money to upgrade to double-glazed windows? How can we estimate the heat savings?
One hack being posted online and even in the media is to tape bubble wrap over your windows. We’re not keen to do that on the rooms we use every day — we enjoy our views. So I’ve just bubble wrapped the guest room window. I’ve been noting temps in that room compared with outside for some days already. Just after I finished the job, the temp in the room was 14.4C, outdoors is 12.6. We’ll see if the “insulation” keeps that room warmer.
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