Graham Downs

South African Christian, husband, Software Developer, and author of the urban fantasy novella, Memoirs of a Guardian Angel.

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nprofile1qqsqrmeew9vpa6p6570zg9ux57k9pnu4an26fcwp6lu60efdmhf2zpgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43q6fs8gp

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Last Notes

2026-05-18 05:50:14 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 1 minute and 43 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-mon-18-may-2026-/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-04-30 06:38:19 UTC

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@nprofile…hq99 Yes, that's what I always assumed too. :)

2026-04-30 06:33:03 UTC

So we all know what the English word "defenestrate" means, right? If you didn't, it's the act of throwing someone out of a window.
But South Africans, my dear South Africans, have you ever considered that the word sounds a little bit like the Afrikaans phrase, "die venster uit"?
I'm never going to unhear that now. Never. 🙈
#Afrikaans #words

2026-04-29 10:27:03 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz That photo verification thing is the most irritating thing for me too. I'm not blind, but I have no peripheral vision, to the point where if I look directly at, say, my eyes, I cannot see my nose or my chin or... you get the idea. And I can't see the frames bordering the photo I have to take, either. And when text pops up saying "move closer" or "move further away" or "angle to the right", I have to avert my gaze to read that text, and then I can no longer see my face, so it drifts away from where they want me to be.
Honestly it never takes me less than 10 tries to get it right. And for some reason my banking apps expect me to redo it every couple of weeks.
I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for you. :(

2026-04-29 08:54:55 UTC

This is really cool: a free five-week program is designed to teach kids aged 9-16 everything they need to know about running a business, with a view to actually launching one when it's done.
https://gadget.co.za/9yearoldbusiness19w/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #business

2026-04-28 06:54:08 UTC

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@nprofile…lfeq It is if you want it to be. :)

2026-04-28 06:51:25 UTC

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@nprofile…lfeq I still do it when I play Human Or Not. The bots answer it flawlessly, but it throws the younger humans off. :-D

2026-04-24 07:47:01 UTC

Discovery Bank (South Africa's biggest consumer bank) say that at least 43% of their clients now pay for a monthly chatbot subscription. And they're cancelling streaming services in favour of LLM subscriptions: https://techcentral.co.za/middle-class-south-africa-is-ditching-streaming-for-ai/280592/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #AI

2026-04-23 06:51:53 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz Oh, sorry, my mistake. It is his song. He recorded it in 1987, although didn't release it until 1992.
Cyndi Lauper released her version in 1989, which is why everyone thinks it's hers.

2026-04-23 06:45:31 UTC

Just Jinjer's "What He Means" is still one of my favourite songs of all time: https://open.spotify.com/track/5QSKMcESPmKFahGqbKAtq6?si=11db959ce753401d&utm_source=Mastodon
#music #love

2026-04-23 06:30:15 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz The original is actually Cindi Lauper: https://open.spotify.com/track/3J0AoQhAufniMrznCRJASD?si=7c027605da7e4b20&utm_source=Mastodon :-)

2026-04-23 06:24:33 UTC

Did you know that Roy Orbison did a cover of I Drove All Night?! :O
https://open.spotify.com/track/6U7QjXYOaLJ741cIWPBTyN?si=44c0024783834368&utm_source=Mastodon
#RoyOrbison #music

2026-04-23 06:20:44 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz Morning, Sozha. I hope you have an amazing day! :-)

2026-04-21 04:36:24 UTC

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@nprofile…54d6 LOL Influenced by the news of Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO after 15 years? I just heard that on the radio as I woke up this morning, and I thought, "Wow, 15 years already!"
My next thought was, "Wow, Steve Jobs passed away 15 years ago already?!"

2026-04-18 06:54:00 UTC

Human or Not is super addictive. I just played 10 games and got a 60% win rate: https://humanornot.so/?utm_source=Mastodon
#AI

2026-04-17 05:34:13 UTC

It's pretty well known that we have a "National Opt-out Registry" in South Africa, for people to opt out of all direct marketing communication. It's also fairly well known that it doesn't work. :P
Well, a new law hopes to change that, by requiring all direct marketers to check their database *monthly* against that list, and remove any numbers they find there: https://techcentral.co.za/consumers-get-new-weapon-against-direct-marketing-spam/280306/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#SouthAfrica #spam

2026-04-16 06:53:40 UTC

In Johannesburg and like ebooks? A reminder that you can get a free membership to the City of Joburg elibrary. Visit the site at https://cojlibrary.overdrive.com/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica and look for the little banner that says "Sign up here" to be taken to the application form.
#SouthAfrica #libraries

2026-04-16 05:25:27 UTC

"An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge" -- John Wesley #quotes #love

2026-04-15 08:45:57 UTC

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@nprofile…37h5 Well yeah, but two things:
1. I think when people say "CW all political posts", most of the time they're talking about posts that explicitly mention candidates, political parties, and the like. So it depends on your definition of "politics" (I do agree that pretty much everything comes down to politics in the end, though)
2. I think a significant number of people actually aren't interested in reading about or discussing ANY of the things you mentioned, and all they want to do is make jokes and talk shit, and that's why they're on social media. So they would probably want any mention of anything to do with serious issues to be CWed.
That second group would probably be better served by simply not following and/or muting anyone who posts about anything "serious".
But in general, that's the problem I have with CWs in general: everything you can think of is likely to offend someone, somewhere along the line. And I don't want a situation where we CW basically every single post in existence, such that CWs become nothing more than email subject lines.
I'd much prefer that we come up with a list of agreed-upon hashtags that we use for certain topics, and then people not interested in those topics could just mute those hashtags.

2026-04-15 04:51:56 UTC

I think Roelf Meyer is a fine choice for US ambassador... Or, he would've been 15 years ago.
Look, I don't want to sound ageist, and I'm very sure he's just as sharp as ever, and completely up to the task, but at 78, the man should be enjoying his retirement. I wouldn't imagine he needs the money, but when the president calls, it's hardly appropriate to say "Thanks, but no thank you".
But really. Let the man rest. He's done enough for our country. 🙄
#SouthAfrica #RoelfMeyer

2026-04-14 05:00:05 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 58 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-tues-14-apr-2026-/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-04-10 06:51:19 UTC

Today in 1912, the Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage. #trivia #OnThisDay

2026-04-03 14:21:46 UTC

Wordle 1 749 5/6*
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#wordle #wordle1749

2026-04-02 04:53:58 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 28 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-thurs-2-apr-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-04-01 05:52:40 UTC

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@nprofile…l4wu We're very lucky that the petrol price at the pump is regulated here, meaning we've been protected from high petrol prices for the whole of March (As opposed to Diesel, whose *wholesale* price is regulated, but the filling stations can still charge what they like at the pump).
We were expecting a much higher increase from April, but the government decided at the 11th hour last night that they would drop the fuel levy by R3 per litre for the month of April, to shield us. But of course, now all the other political parties are jumping in to say that, while they appreciate that, they don't know how we're going to absorb that cost because we can't afford any more taxes. So it's a case of "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." :/

2026-04-01 04:59:26 UTC

In case you missed it, here are the fuel prices in South Africa (inland) from today:
- 93 Petrol: R23.25 (from R20.19 yesterday)
- 95 Petrol: R23.36 (from R20.30 yesterday)
- Diesel 0.05% (wholesale): R25.90 (from R18.53 yesterday)
- Diesel 0.005% (wholesale): R26.11 (from R18.60 yesterday)
- Illuminating Paraffin: R28.14 (from R12.54 yesterday)
- LPGAS (per kg): R36.05 (from R34.97 yesterday)
#SouthAfrica #FuelPrice

2026-03-27 10:08:48 UTC

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@nprofile…easl I was recently advised by someone to stop using the wink emoji, because it doesn't mean what I think it means, and it can come across as really offensive. I, too, used to use it far too much.
The wry smile sounds like a good substitute. Perhaps I should try it. :-)

2026-03-26 05:51:14 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 57 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-thurs-26-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica #crosswords

2026-03-25 05:56:58 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 58 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-wed-25-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica

2026-03-24 04:43:48 UTC

@nprofile…jvsu Are you okay? I see monoceros has been down for some time now (every time my trends bot tries to access it), but I'm hoping that's either due to some security thing you've put in place, OR that it's coming up periodically, enough for you to check messages.... :)

2026-03-22 09:46:12 UTC

Interesting quiz asking how much you know about Jesus. I aced it, but I did have to stop and think about a couple of the questions. :)
https://www.playbuzz.com/michaelrogers11/only-5-of-people-can-ace-this-impossible-jesus-test?utm_source=Mastodon
#quiz #JesusChrist

2026-03-20 04:43:34 UTC

You can see Autumn is upon us. I've just been outside putting the bin out, and there's just this carpet of orange all down the street. It's beautiful! 🍂 #Autumn

2026-03-10 04:45:34 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 2 minutes and 4 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-tues-10-mar-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-03-08 11:30:45 UTC

Another English quiz, where you have to pick between apparently "confusing" words. Honestly, I've never found them confusing, but I can sort of understand how some people do, I guess.... :/
https://www.quizfreak.com/can-you-correctly-use-these-confusing-words/index1.html?utm_source=Mastodon
#English #quiz

2026-03-03 06:29:46 UTC

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@nprofile…6a27 I use Dokuwiki for our group D&D campaign, and it works pretty well.
Or if you want proper discussions, maybe a web forum?

2026-03-02 06:00:37 UTC

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@nprofile…w7wz Morning, Sozha. Have a wonderful day! I hope you meeting goes well. :-)

2026-03-01 10:10:29 UTC

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@nprofile…54d6 Was she wearing a rock dress?

2026-02-26 04:53:41 UTC

🎉 I just completed the Daily Maverick Crossword in 48 seconds! 🧩 Can you beat my time? 🏆 https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/crossword/daily-crossword-quickie-thurs-26-feb-2026/?dm_source=blocks-grid&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#crosswords

2026-02-25 06:59:04 UTC

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@nprofile…rx5g @nprofile…e762 To me, I think it reminded me the most of IRC. Which I used to be very active on. In fact, I met my wife on IRC, so really fond memories. And there you had multiple interconnected servers (the day I met my wife, she was chatting from the CT server and I was chatting from the JHB server, of a well-known South African IRC network which has long-since shut down). :-)
I've also heard it compared to email. You may have an @gmail.com email address, but you can still communicate with an @yahoo.com one.
It just feels... completely intuitive to me.

2026-02-25 06:52:14 UTC

Just reading through the replies on X to @nprofile…e762 's recent tweet about how they're going to be focussing more on Mastodon in future.
There's a lot of anti-Mastodon sentiment on X. Some downright hatred of the platform on principle.
And some of it is from people who've tried Mastodon and really don't like it, didn't gel with it, can't get to grips with the UI or find the general sentiment of the community distasteful.
Which is all fair enough. But a lot of it stems from a complete lack of understanding of how the platform works. Some people think you have to have an account on every server where you want to follow someone, and you have to swap between those servers all the time in order to interact with them.
Others have never heard of Mastodon before, and after clicking on the link to LibreOffice's profile on Fosstodon and trying to create an account, they see that that instance is currently accepting new members by invitation only, so they give up and ask, "Why do you want us to join a platform that requires invitations."
EVEN THOUGH the message about Fosstodon being invitation-only explicitly tells them they can pick a different server, and they'll still be able to follow anyone on Fosstodon or anywhere else on the network.
Why is this stuff so difficult for people to grasp?! I'm not trying to flex or anything, but I joined this place in November 2022, and the concept of "pick a server and follow anyone on any other server" was a no-brainer for me. It was actually one of the drawcards.
I don't understand why people find it so confusing. Why it's such a mental block to people. I just don't. :(
#Mastodon #SocialMedia

2026-02-24 07:37:28 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 That's called the Oxford Comma. It's a topic of huge debate and nobody can agree.
Those who are against it ("apples, grapes and oranges" -- no comma) say it's a waste of a character and can be confusing, and best case, it feels like a little mark on the page that they should try and rub off.
Those who believe you should always use it (like myself) say that the sentence can be confusing without it. That without it, "grapes and oranges" feel like they're a single list item, apart from apples. Worse, it can drastically alter the meaning of the writing and cause people to make terrible mistakes based on their mistaken interpretation.
But I don't want to sway you; it's up to you. For my money, I'm firmly in the Oxford Comma camp. :-D

2026-02-24 07:04:47 UTC

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@nprofile…56c7 The general rule of thumb is for numbers less than 10, write them out, and for numbers 10 or over, you can use digits. Also for years and times, modern writers use digits.
In antiquity, you'll find authors ALWAYS write out the words, even for years and times ("The year nineteen-hundred-and-eighty-four" or "a quarter to three in the afternoon"), but over time that trend changed, first with years and times -- whereas all other numbers, even those under 10 -- were written out, and then eventually to the current convention of writing out any numbers under 10.
If you're specifically going for an old-timey or "classic" feel in your writing, then write out all numbers. :-)

2026-02-24 06:45:16 UTC

@nprofile…6wcc This instance is really struggling today. If I catch it up for two minutes at a time, it's a lot. Then it's down for 10-15 minutes, up for another 2 minutes, down again, up again.... Are you guys busy with maintenance or something? :)

2026-02-24 06:40:57 UTC

Maybe the days of the old COBOL greybeards earning more money than the rest of us devs can dream of is nearing an end? :/
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-24-ibm-posts-steepest-daily-drop-since-200000-after-anthropic-says-ai-can-modernize/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
#VibeCoding #AI

2026-02-23 07:47:37 UTC

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@nprofile…gtjj @nprofile…kyza South Africa is the same. Huge, nationwide strikes, almost always resulting in much intimidation of people choosing not to strike, or people patronising the company that the strikers are employed by. Severe injury and death of people just trying to live their lives.
Not to mention the property damage, with people standing on highway bridges throwing rocks at cars (and more severe injury and death because that causes accidents).
You are describing exactly what happens in South Africa every strike season.
And it seldom results in any long-term benefits for the strikers -- even if they do get their way -- or the companies (which frequently go out of business because they cannot afford to meet the workers' demands), or the economy, or... anyone, really. Except the unions, who just sit there quietly taking their membership fees. :-(

2026-02-22 14:57:52 UTC

Interesting little English test, apparently "from the 1950s". I aced it, and it told me that apparently, only 5% of Americans can score this high. Good thing I'm not American, eh? ;-)
https://www.playbuzz.com/terrystein10/can-you-pass-a-basic-english-test-from-1950?utm_source=Mastodon
#English #quiz

2026-02-21 07:36:40 UTC

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@nprofile…rcxm 100%. I cannot possibly imagine why I wouldn't want to be searchable. Why would you post publicly on social media if you don't want your posts to be found and read by as many people as possible?

2026-02-20 07:36:27 UTC

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@nprofile…p25k I definitely do get a feeling, yes. And I don't have peripheral vision, so you can't say -- like I've often heard -- that it's something you've unconsciously noticed out of the corner of your eye.
And it's never not been true. When I get that feeling, I'll look around and my wife will be standing there, for example. Not actively *watching* me, necessarily. Just in the room and she sees that I'm deep in thought or something and doesn't want to give me a fright by speaking or something.
So maybe it's that I unconsciously *heard* her enter the room? I dunno. But I definitely get a feeling when someone's watching me.
It's one of the reasons why I can't stand open-plan offices. I hate the idea of people walking up behind me, or even standing a distance away behind me, looking at my screen or watching me work or something. It freaks me out.

2026-02-19 06:21:47 UTC

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@nprofile…8pur I must be honest, I know that's common advice, but it has simply *never* occurred to me to leave the tap running while I brush my teeth. Who would do such a thing?
It takes two minutes to brush my teeth. Put toothpaste on the toothbrush, turn on the tap to quickly moisten it (half a second or so), brush to completion, turn the tap back on, rinse mouth, turn the tap off again.
I just don't see how it would be in any way helpful to leave the tap running. Or have I just been brushing my teeth wrong my whole life? :P
@nprofile…easl

2026-02-10 09:13:32 UTC

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@nprofile…hvu0 It's got to do with the rule-of-thumb that a person needs to be exposed to a message 7 times before they take action. So if you see an add for a product, even without sound, and even for a split second before deliberately turning your attention, that's 1.
If you're browsing the web and you catch a banner ad for the same product, that's 2.
Reading an article and the author mentions that product in passing (even in a negative light)? That's 3.
Driving along the highway and see a billboard for that product, even if you don't consciously take note of it? That's 4.
In the supermarket and see that product stacked on the shelf? That's 5 -- but you're not ready to buy, yet.
On your way home, you turn on the radio and catch an ad for that product, but by that time you're so sick of hearing about it that you change the channel immediately? That's 6.
Turn on the TV and watch a YouTube video, and your ad-blocker fails momentarily and you see an ad for that product? That's 7, even though you spend all your time waiting for the "Skip" button to become enabled.
Something happens in your life that means you urgently need something like that product? Now that particular product is the first and perhaps ONLY one that sticks in your mind, it's cheap enough, and you need a solution urgently, so what do you do? You go out and buy that product.
Yes. Yes, it works. And it works to the *benefit* of the consumer, too. At least, as a consumer, that's what I've often found. :-)

2026-02-04 07:55:03 UTC

I often feel for people who struggle to sleep, I really do. I can fall asleep anywhere in thirty seconds flat, and sleep for eight hours.
I can even take a two-hour nap in three in the afternoon, and still go to bed by ten and sleep all the way until when my alarm goers off at five.
My conscience is clear, I guess. ;-)
#sleep

2026-01-31 15:05:10 UTC

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@nprofile…6aac thats like saying the popular perception of vampires being incredibly sexual beings doesn't work because a vampire, having no blood flow, wouldn't be able to have an erection. ;-)

2026-01-30 07:03:43 UTC

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@nprofile…rcxm I don't think there's any contradiction there, funnily enough. "Write the book that you want to read" is a common enough peace of writing advice, and it comes from the fact that lots of really famous fiction writers of yore say they started writing because they couldn't find anything they really thought was worth reading. :)

2026-01-30 05:09:52 UTC

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@nprofile…34cz "Time you enjoy wasting is never wasted." :-)
I don't know where you are in your journey, but I'm very lucky to be in a position where I don't *have* to make money from my books. I make a little here and there, and it's a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, but I have a day job which I very much enjoy and don't really want to give up.
If you're a full-time author struggling to make ends meet, or an aspiring full-time author desperate to leave a soul-sucking job they hate, I can understand that the stress levels must be very high. I can definitely empathise with that, because I've been stuck in jobs that really didn't do it for me too. In all situations, however, I think you should endeavour to have fun, because when you're having fun, you're relaxed, and when you're relaxed, you're at your most creative. Stress kills creativity.
Just my 2c. And I fully realise that it's easier said than done. :/

2026-01-30 05:01:35 UTC

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@nprofile…34cz I must admit I kind of enjoy the marketing. Which isn't to say I'm very GOOD at it, but I love putting a message out into the world and watching the numbers. Seeing who interacts with it and where they're from. Watching them share it, talk about it, comment on it.
And I enjoy dreaming up new ways to promote myself, thinking about how this or that keyword in my title or description is going to affect discovery. Analysing covers and colour schemes and comparing them to others in the same genre, and reading up on the psychology of how certain visual elements influence certain people in certain ways.
It's a significant part of the author experience, for me. And I think I'd miss it if I didn't have to do it....
Having said that, let me re-iterate that I'm not very GOOD at marketing. I just find it just as pleasurable as the actual writing, sometimes. :-)

2026-01-28 10:48:59 UTC

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@nprofile…0u4x "Fungal" Yeah, I like that way of looking at it. :)
It also depends on your definition of/criteria for "virality". I once wrote a poll <https://mastodon.africa/@GrahamDowns/112196095295343527> that got 7264 votes, 2.5k boosts, 347 favourites, and 96 replies, but I can't remember how long it ran for (a week?). I'd personally consider that pretty viral.
I think if a toot reaches the top of the "Trending Posts" for your instance, I'd probably consider that "viral" too. And that's happened with a couple of my posts over the years.
Obviously, what it takes to get there depends very much on how big/active your instance is. On mine, I think it's in the region of 10 or so boosts in a few hours....

2026-01-28 07:38:12 UTC

I've discovered something interesting about Mastodon: back in the early days of Twitter, before algorithms, when it was just a reverse-chronological feed, and hashtags and lists were been touted as pro strats that everyone should use, there was this rule of thumb that the average tweet has a lifespan of about three hours.
Meaning that if you posted something, and it hadn't taken off (seen significant engagement) within about three hours, you could assume it never would.
And I kinda liked that. I enjoyed the *immediacy* of Twitter, that "you snooze, you lose" aspect of it. It was about what was happening right now. Not what happened yesterday or last week or last month. I missed that a lot after they introduced surfacing algorithms.
And it's one of the things that drew me to Mastodon, back in November 2022. The promise of that same immediate thrill ride: there's no point in scrolling back. Just open it up and see what's happening.
But Mastodon is a bit different. Often, I'll post something, maybe get a boost or a favourite or something within the first 10 minutes, and then nothing. Oh well, it's gone now. And then two or three days later, BAM! I'm seeing boosts and favourites and replies to that post all over the show. Hell, I'm still seeing boosts and favourites and replies to toots I posted two YEARS ago.
I guess it has a lot to do with how Mastodon users in general (or maybe just those who follow me) seem more inclined to follow/search for hashtags, or organise their followees into lists. Maybe I'm on some lists with few other people, and the creators of those lists check them regularly? Or maybe -- and perhaps this is because there are markedly fewer people on here that it's actually feasible -- people are more likely to scroll back to see what they've missed. Even if they do only visit once every 2-3 days or less.
It just seems to be quite a different paradigm. People here seem much more free to use the platform in the way that suits them.
#Mastodon

2026-01-27 16:37:28 UTC

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@nprofile…zm8m Yeah, no, I don't know about that, hey. I really really don't want to go back to a time where Telkom was the only entity allowed to provide fixed-line services. And I'm very, very grateful that Eskom's monopoly is slowly being dismantled.
And I really really don't trust our government (ANY government, in truth, but our government in particular) to do anything to the benefit of the people. I'm scared out of my wits about what's going to happen with the NHI.
I guess if government had a service and it competed on equal footing with private services and they didn't get any advantages over any other, then I'd be okay with that.
Anyway, the point is that in this case, there IS money in it. It's true that the company that plops down the tower doesn't have the skills or resources to offer last-mile access. It's not their core business. But I think the point is that some other business could come in, *partner* with the providing company (be it Starlink or Rain or Amazon Leo or whomever) and run the cables and provide support to get that "last mile" access going. There's definitely money to be made there. It just needs someone to take the initiative and assume the risk.

2026-01-27 08:50:15 UTC

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@nprofile…l0np Yeah, we don't do that sort of thing. If it's not in the calendar, it doesn't happen.
Next time you have a client who wants to meet at "7ish", send a meeting invite for 7:00 exactly. Even if he doesn't actually accept, it will serve as pressure for him and he'll be reminded 15 minutes before.
We've found it a good strategy to avoid situations like the above. It forces people to commit.
I mean, sometimes he'll still only pitch 30 minutes later, and I guess there's nothing you can do about that, but the formal meeting invite sitting on his calendar still forces him to take it seriously, I think.

2026-01-27 06:42:12 UTC

Soon, you may no longer be required to remove your laptop from its bag when going through airport security: https://gadget.co.za/heathrow100ml2t/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
I'm hoping that other airports around the world (including here in South Africa) follow suit, because this is quite annoying.
#travel

2026-01-27 05:41:45 UTC

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I like what they're saying about the *rural* connectivity, though. Farms, villages, outlying schools.
The reason why those places still don't have reliable access is because a service comes along, plops a tower on the outskirts of those places, and then dusts off their hands and considers their job done. But that's not enough: we need people to come in and connect those towers and other access points with the last mile, making sure that Internet access gets into every house in the village, every classroom in the school, every building on the farm. But that's not what Starlink's going to do either. So we need local providers to *partner* with Starlink and provide and support that last mile connection. That's where Starlink *could* provide lots of value.
#Starlink #SouthAfrica

2026-01-27 05:18:22 UTC

With all this hype about Starlink in South Africa, TechCentral asks, "What's so special about Starlink?", "Will it *really* be affordable?", and "How big is the potential market exactly?"
https://techcentral.co.za/starlink-hype-vs-reality-in-south-africa/276730/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica
Spoiler alert: if you compare it with the prices in our neighbouring countries, you'll see that it's targetted at LSM7-10, meaning actually a very small percentage of South Africans would be able to afford their entry level service. And most of them wouldn't need it anyway because they already have established Internet connections via FTTH or fixed-wireless.
The market for Starlink in South Africa is actually very small.
#Starlink #SouthAfrica

2026-01-25 05:02:44 UTC

It's Covenant Service this morning at church. Once a year in the Methodist church, those of the congregation who are willing stand together and recite this prayer: https://share.google/Bu2u6nwHDzz8WLc7T
(We never judge anyone who is not yet willing or ready. We figure maybe they will be next time)
#Methodist #Covenant

2026-01-24 08:12:20 UTC

Alberton has had no power now since Tuesday afternoon due to a substation fire. The current ERT is 18:00 today. Holding thumbs! #SouthAfrica #electricity

2026-01-07 10:33:38 UTC

I know in the beginning people complained a lot, but I must say I've been rather impressed with Google's AI Search, where you can click under the AI Summary to actually start a conversation and ask follow-up questions, and unlike ChatGPT, those conversations aren't saved between sessions.
It feels a lot less... sycophantic than ChatGPT. It doesn't constantly validate you, or apologise profusely if you correct it, nor does it just agree with whatever you say for the sake of agreeing with you. If you have the wrong impression about something, it will tell you. If you ask a question and the answer is flat-out NO, it will tell you. If it can't find verifiable information about something, it will tell you.
I feel like -- while not impossible -- it would be a lot less likely to hallucinate by making stuff up than ChatGPT is (other types of hallucinations are probably not particularly less likely).
At lease, that's the impression I get.
#AI #LLMs

2026-01-07 09:47:00 UTC

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@nprofile…979u Are you at Spur, by any chance? Somebody's birthday? :-D

2026-01-05 06:49:41 UTC

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the very first television broadcast in South Africa: https://techcentral.co.za/television-turns-50-in-south-africa/275887/?utm_source=MastodonAfrica #TV #SouthAfrica #history

2026-01-04 09:23:09 UTC

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@nprofile…easl I know. But when I asked the question, I was still thinking that I was going to counter with the fact that some "foods" have zero nutritional value. Like marshmallows.
But then I talked myself out of that position by reminding myself that sugar is still a nutrient. And now I agree with you. :-D

2026-01-04 09:20:51 UTC

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@nprofile…easl "... contains nutrients ..." is what I was getting at. Although I would've put it as, "provides some nutritional value."
Although I guess even marshmallows count as food, then: even if effectively all they contain is sugar, sugar is a nutrient and your body does need it. It's just that there are way better sources of sugar out there. Still, eating a handful of marshmallows -- even a whole bag of marshmallows -- every once in a while isn't going to kill you. But doing it every day is probably not a good idea. 🤔

2026-01-04 09:14:47 UTC

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@nprofile…easl Define "food".

2025-12-31 08:46:57 UTC

The YouVersion "Verse of the Year" this year is Isaiah 41:10: https://www.bible.com/bible/296/ISA.41.GNBUK?utm_source=Mastodon
It is a popular verse, but I wonder how many people read the entire chapter. That's my problem with these daily verse thingies: they tend to encourage picking and choosing and taking things out of context....
#Bible #VerseOfTheYear

2025-12-30 05:51:48 UTC

Why are high-back chairs not the default, and so much more expensive?
I mean I understand that not everyone is tall, but why punish the tall people? Besides, surely even short people prefer high backs to sit against?
This is unfair discrimination, I tell you!

2025-12-27 10:43:59 UTC

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@nprofile…jx3s oh, you must! I can't believe how cool it is. I got a Cudy three mesh WiFi 6 one. :-)

2025-12-27 09:40:24 UTC

I got a WiFi mesh system for Christmas, and wow, I can't believe I never did it sooner. No more worrying about two separate WiFi networks, and if you're on *this* side of the house, you need to make sure you're connected to network A, and if you're on *that* side of the house, please connect to network B.
Now there's just one network and full signal no matter where you are in the house or garden. :-)
I also got two 1Gbps Ethernet switches, because the mesh units don't have any spare (our old routers had 3 each, which was never enough anyway), and I still maintain that Ethernet trumps WiFi for speed, latency, and reliability, and if I can connect a device to Ethernet *or* WiFi, you best believe I'm going to prefer Ethernet.
The network in general is much faster now too, because the previous routers only supported 100Mbps Ethernet (oh, and of course the mesh units connect to each other via cable, because what would be the point otherwise?). :D
#Christmas #GeekGifts

2025-12-26 07:14:32 UTC

Happy Day Of Goodwill, South Africa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day#Day_of_Goodwill
Most of the rest of the world call it Boxing Day. And we did too, pre-1994. But now we call it the Day of Goodwill instead, for reasons: I think we just wanted to get away from the negative connotations around the term "boxing day". That is, the whole idea that people have servants who they force to work on Christmas, but whom they in their magnanimity allow to take the day after off, boxing up food for them to take home to their families. "Yes, Massah! You're so kind, Massah! How very gracious of you, Massah!"
Most everyday South Africans still call it Boxing Day, though. :-D
#BoxingDay #DayOfGoodwill #SouthAfrica

2025-12-20 08:31:45 UTC

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@nprofile…zn69 we were thinking of taking the kids to the zoo this holiday. They had a big Christmas display last weekend and we thought it might be nice to go walk around their at night....
R170 a person. :-|
That's almost R800 for four adults to walk around for a couple hours. Excluding food which you have to buy from vendors.
I mean, WE can't afford that; how much less can the people whom the zoo is actually meant to serve afford it?!
But we also have the discipline to be able to look at that and say nope, sorry, can't do it. Others might look at that, KNOW they can't afford it, but do it anyway because they figure they'll worry about it later(in Januworry, duh).

2025-12-20 08:12:23 UTC

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@nprofile…zn69 I think at the end of the day, the issue is that most people live beyond their means. For some, that's unavoidable because they're on the poverty line and they have families to support that they have to send money home to and stuff (the so-called "black tax", which is a real thing), but for the rest of us, we could definitely stand to scale down a bit. Even me, if I'm honest.
Then when December comes and you want to splurge a bit (within reason), you can manage a bit of extra luxury without having this feeling of dread because Januworry is coming.
But it takes discipline and planning, understanding how to budget, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to say no. :)

2025-12-20 08:03:51 UTC

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@nprofile…zn69 agreed. Expenses are necessarily higher in December, though. For all the reasons I mentioned and more. People come to visit and suddenly there are extra mouths to feed. Or you want to cook something special, and the ingredients are more expensive than your normal fare. And don't forget that ALL your expenses are going to go up in January and February because that's just how it works. My Internet is going up 7% in Feb, for example. And if you didn't get an increase, then you're going to have to find that money somewhere, so you start thinking about that now already.
If you get a bonus/13th cheque, then yeah, use that. But not everyone does, and if they do, many people bank on it to help them get through the month anyway (often they've been living on credit for much of the year and this is their chance to pay some of that debt off before they start accruing it again). 😛
Or they've been banking on their bonus all year long to do something big they've been putting off, like fixing a leaking roof or replacing broken tiles, etc.
So they do that. Which is good, and productive, and a responsible use for that bonus, imo. But they STILL want to go drinking with their friends, buy their kids expensive presents, take the family to see the latest Christmas movie or theatre production (and buy all the overpriced snacks their hearts desire)....

2025-12-19 20:51:49 UTC

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@nprofile…zn69 most people, particularly people who are less financially educated (for want of a better word) struggle with this. Have money, will spend. And particularly around this time of year when you have to buy gifts and the temptation to go out with friends and stuff is higher. It's the festive season, so people want to be... Well, festive. People are on holiday, the kids are bored. All that stuff. Remember it's high summer here. And everything costs money. People want to get paid early in December, for that reason. But the problem is, they often don't think beyond tomorrow. :/

2025-12-19 11:39:47 UTC

I got paid today. Which is nice... but it does mean I have to be extra EXTRA careful with spending for the rest of the month, because there needs to be enough for debit orders by 2 January.
It's all too easy to go, "Oh, we've got money, let's order takeaways," or "Let's eat out tonight!"
I still maintain that getting paid early in December is one of the biggest causes of the so-called "Januworry", and why so many people end up taking loans out before next month is even halfway through. Be careful, everyone!

2025-12-12 20:57:22 UTC

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@nprofile…zn69 @nprofile…y8mx @nprofile…4t3x it was after that, because for the first two years of High School, I still had to do Cadets (which if I'm honest, I kind of enjoyed. The marching in parade was kinda fun, and I was good at standing for 15 with my left arm outstretched and stuff).
But it wasn't long after that. At the end of my Standard 7 year, I think, some Matrics -- and one or two of my peers who'd been held back a couple of years and were almost 18 -- got called up, but I'm not sure if they actually served.
By the time I got to Standard 8, there was no more Cadets.

2025-12-12 11:21:34 UTC

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@nprofile…y8mx @nprofile…4t3x That was actually a slight worry for me growing up with my vision issues, because we weren't sure when (or even if) they would scrap compulsory military service, and how I would cope if I was called up. But most people seemed to agree that I would either get a medical exemption and not have to go at all, or if I did, they would just stick me behind a desk.

2025-12-12 11:18:07 UTC

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@nprofile…y8mx @nprofile…4t3x I guess it's similar to the people just before me who still had to do compulsory military service (a few of my friends got called up, just before they stopped it). I heard tell of more than a few people who had their military driver's and even pilot's licenses before they were eligible to get their civil drivers.

2025-12-12 11:14:43 UTC

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@nprofile…y8mx @nprofile…4t3x Yeah, similar story. When I turned 18 in 1998, I'd been working for a couple of months already.
There was a bar downstairs at my first job, and we used to go for a few drinks on a Friday afternoon. I'd already been downstairs to drink with them a few times, and I remember my 18th happened to be a Friday, and my boss joked with me that, today, I could actually drink legally (don't tell anyone). :-D

2025-12-12 11:00:20 UTC

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@nprofile…y8mx @nprofile…4t3x I was born in 1980, the first half of 1980. So I believe that technically makes be a Gen Xer, not a Millennial.
But I read once that there is a term for those people born "on the cusp", who have a lot in common with both generations and not too much in common with either. I think they call us "Xennials". :-)
Millennials were originally meant to be the people who started their working lives after 2000. Well, I started mine in 1998, but a) I was a year earlier in school, and b) I never went to university. If I had finished school a year later, and gone to uni before starting work, then I probably wouldn't have begun my career until at least 2002-2003.
So yeah, "on the cusp". I'm difficult to define. :-)

2025-12-12 03:59:58 UTC

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@nprofile…4t3x @nprofile…y8mx wash your mouth out with soap!! (But not Tide pods) 😆

2025-12-11 05:54:44 UTC

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@nprofile…0rku I've been there. It can be nice, actually, if you work in an office and all your colleagues are taking leave. Traffic is a breeze, and you get peace and quiet all day.
I think I still prefer to be on leave, though. :-)

2025-12-11 05:16:01 UTC

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After 15 December, you can't get a car registered. You can *buy* a car, but it will be registered in January as a 2026 model. :-)

2025-12-11 05:12:48 UTC

Tomorrow is the last working day of 2026 for 99% of non-emergency, non-hospitality, non-consumer-facing employees in #SouthAfrica (for the people I mentioned above, tomorrow ironically marks the start of their *busiest* time of the year).
Traditionally, the building suppliers and panel beaters shut down on the 15th, on account of the 16th being a Public Holiday (the Day of Reconciliation), and everyone else follows suit. But because the 15th is a Monday this year, most people are just finishing tomorrow and taking Monday off as well.
#December #Christmas

2025-12-06 08:27:55 UTC

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@nprofile…pr07 Or simply... unfollow? Maybe that's a reasonable first step. :)

2025-12-04 09:53:07 UTC

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Video of "Summer sun" (Song by Texas) #AiArt #Music
Generated using https://upsampler.com/free-video-generator-no-signup?utm_source=Mastodon
https://cdn.mastodon.africa/media_attachments/files/115/660/680/794/424/624/original/cbc391a8af4523e3.mp4

2025-12-03 06:59:14 UTC

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@nprofile…gf6x I think that's a mistake that many people make when they're first thinking of starting a business: "My product/service/thing is for EVERYONE!"
No. No it isn't. Nobody's product is for literally everyone. Your product is for a very specific group of people with a very specific need, and it's your job to find those people.
One of the ways you do that is by creating an account on Mastodon and posting about your product/service/thing, using certain hashtags and keywords that you think those people might search for.
And then you measure how many clicks you get from those Mastodon posts over time, and you then go, "OK, cool, so it looks like my target audience enjoys using Mastodon! Let me focus more on my efforts there."
Repeat for Twitter, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky....
It's not all that different from traditional ads in a newspaper, which say, "Mention <name of paper> for a 20% discount!"
You hope that people mention the name of the paper, so you can track how effective that newspaper is in reaching their target audience. So companies have been doing that sort of thing for years and years. The Internet and tracking links just make that process a little easier, is all (the people who disable tracking are the same sort of people who would refuse to mention the name of the newspaper, so nothing you can do about them).

2025-12-03 06:39:04 UTC

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@nprofile…gf6x Sure, but if the one who shared it doesn't know that you (i.e. Mastodon users, or users on your instance, or how ever specific they want to be with their UTM parameters) clicked it, they have no way of knowing that that sort of thing resonates with you, so they have no way to justify continuing to share stuff that you might see.
Clickbait doesn't work, over time, because depending on your business, you don't want people clicking who aren't actually interested in buying what you're selling, so to speak. People who rely on clickbait have shitty content anyway, and their only hope is that after clicking, you'll click on dodgy ads selling penis pumps so they can get paid.
Companies who base their whole business on clickbait like that generally don't last very long, because everyone gets to know that all they do is post clickbait.
Legitimate companies, however, deserve to know where their clicks are coming from, so they can make solid decisions about what their target market is and where to focus their marketing efforts.

2025-12-03 05:43:33 UTC

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@nprofile…gf6x So you fundamentally have a problem with brands being able to tell which of their traffic comes from Mastodon, so they can make decisions about how many of their customers use it as a social network, and hopefully decide to increase their footprint there and change their messaging to reflect the culture of the people on Mastodon?
I don't understand people who wish to deny companies this sort of (in 2025) basic marketing data, I really don't. Like, WHY would you do that? I just... don't get it.
FWIW, every link I share on Mastodon, I add a "?utm_source=Mastodon" to the end, specifically because I want the owners of those sites to be looking at their Analytics one day and go, "Hmm, what's this 'Mastodon' thing? Maybe I should go check it out."
Because I want as many people as possible to come to Mastodon and find value here.

2025-12-03 05:32:42 UTC

I've been at my current job for seven years today. And I'm still loving it... at least enough to continue to observe the #anniversary of my first day at the company (I'll stop doing that when I stop loving what I do). :-) #work

2025-12-02 08:01:58 UTC

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@nprofile…ffua The Bible said a lot things that, if taken literally, would be balked at by modern science. Our understanding of it has changed over time, our interpretations have changed, some things we used to take literally we now understand as metaphor, and other things we've come to realise we made a mistake when we originally translated it, etc... I mean, if science tells us a thing can feel pain, I interpret that to mean it's conscious, and I interpret consciousness to imply life. But I could be wrong, because I'm no scientist. That's why I said "life, or at least potential life."
Yeah, I also feel like nobody takes the decision to abort lightly. I remember a character explicitly saying as much on Law and Order:SVU -- "Nobody CHOOSES to have an abortion. They do it because they feel they have no other choice."
For a long time, that was what I assumed. But with the latest batch of arguments I've heard people talk very differently. I still think that's true of *most* women, but I think some might actually take it quite lightly. And that makes me sad. Although it shouldn't, because as stated, it's none of my or anyone else's business, it still does.

2025-12-02 07:49:39 UTC

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@nprofile…ffua I obviously have an opinion about this, and naturally, it's affected and shaped by my overarching beliefs. And I know it's a controversial issue (and I know that's an understatement, to put it mildly), and I accept that you could argue that as a man, I don't really have a right to an opinion on the matter.
As a Christian, I believe that all life is sacred and should ideally be protected as far as possible. And I believe that a foetus is a life. At least, a potential life. At least, science tells us that at a certain point, it can feel pain. Which means it's conscious. But in any event, it's a life that has a potential to grow up to cure cancer or become president or do anything else, and I can't help but think what if my mother had aborted me? That was never a possibility, but what if it had been, if my parents had known then already about my disability? Or maybe they'd just decided they wanted to. Or whatever.
However, I also obviously accept that the human rights of the mother take precedence over the human rights of the foetus, and I also accept that there may be lots of reasons -- social, economic, medical, and otherwise -- where it would be better for the mother to have an abortion. And I don't think we should list those reasons out either, or make them legal conditions or anything like that, because every situation is different, and as you say it's irrelevant to anyone not actually making the decision in that specific case, and it's nobody else's business.
But I'd still like to think that every decision to abort is a carefully considered one, made with an understanding that at the end of the day, if you do this, you're ending a life.
I hope I'm explaining *myself* well enough. :)

2025-12-01 08:55:49 UTC

It's more truthful. LOL
Similar to that "crying laughing" emoji. I don't use that emoji, because I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have actually *cried* laughing IRL. It just doesn't happen. :P
#memes
https://cdn.mastodon.africa/media_attachments/files/115/643/462/047/580/223/original/6aadf643f240e434.png

2025-11-28 05:50:12 UTC

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Video of "Breakfast in America" (song by Supertramp) #AiArt #music
Generated using https://upsampler.com/free-video-generator-no-signup?utm_source=Mastodon
https://cdn.mastodon.africa/media_attachments/files/115/625/751/402/346/616/original/560174c7a682e660.mp4

2025-11-27 11:47:17 UTC

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@nprofile…jx3s "NO MUSIC NO SMOKING NO DRINKING HAVE FUN".
Oh my word that's classic!!
😆😆😆