It’s been a while since I’ve been meowed at aggressively for no reason.
Adorable lol
It’s a full moon again isn’t it? My cats are all off their rockers tonight.
Gibson was particularly vocal last night.
Democracy Stuff: Again today I heard someone say why bother to vote for candidate X because they just send their preferences to candidate Y. This is completely false. Preferences literally mean the numbers you write on the ballot. 1 is your first preference, 2 is your second, etc. If you want to vote for Greens first and Clive Palmer second, as crazy as that seems, you can absolutely do that. No one can override your preferences. It’s possible that the mistaken belief comes from How-to-vote cards, or from parties forming coalitions or alliances in parliament. If you have any young people, new Australians, or just confused voters in your life circle, please help them out to understand the process. I’m not normally political but with the disaster in America, I realise how privileged it is to have a good voting system. But it’s only good if people know how to participate.
Definitely a few slightly more forceful reasons why people get tripped up by this.
- Group voting tickets were only abolished 4 federal elections ago, and are bizarrely still a thing here in Victoria and Melbourne City Council. So, people’s belief in this is not totally irrational, but likely carried more by lore than facts.
- Many folks look at elections as a chore rather than a precious gift. They would rather remain ignorant about how they work. “Don’t vote for candidate X because they just send their preferences to candidate Y” is more of a meme (in the broad sense of the word) than a well researched political opinion.
- There are people that benefit from stoking uncertainty and confusion about the Australian election process. Many of them are not Australian citizens. Just look at the AEC’s Twitter “Replies” tab. Cookers and Russian agents.
Good points.
“It’s possible that the mistaken belief comes from How-to-vote cards, or from parties forming coalitions or alliances in parliament.”
I’m not sure where this belief comes from either, but I distinctly recall an election campaign many years ago from the Liberal Party, which went along the lines of “A vote for Independents/Greens is a vote for Labor.” It was ran late in the campaign before the election and had a definite impact on the election on that occasion, I just can’t remember exactly when it was. I wondered at the time how it was even legal.
My mother believed it too. I was more than happy to explain how it works simply to her, like you have here. But she was suspicious about anything I said and I could tell she just simply didn’t believe me. People talk about the Murdoch/Sky News/Herald Sun/mainstream news brainwashing nowadays… it really began a long time ago.
This must be frustrating. Politicians will say whatever works to manipulate vulnerable voters. It’s interesting that the ideas can be so long lasting. I don’t believe there’s any law that says a politician can’t make false claims, and the digital age has made it so much easier.
Verily, the John is hoppin’. It’s come out really nicely this time because I didn’t overcook the beans, didn’t use all the bean water, added some tomato paste, and of course the vegan chorizo helped (actually nicer cooked with everything, rather than fried separately and added at the end)
some of this will go in the freezer
Shower and then I’m DONE. So grateful for the dishwasher for preventing a total meltdown.
Thinking I should read another ebook rather than get onto a tv show. I see Richard Powers released a new book last year with good reviews! I need to finish like the last 10% of The Overstory and then maybe I’ll get onto Playground
Queen! You da MVP
That looks great. Enjoy the winds for the next few days.
ooh that looks good!
Stressed week + relaxed cheese and wine yesterday == tummy ache 😔. And I have a plane to catch. I am counting the days until I get a break at Easter 🐣🐣🐣
gentle hugs for you too
Thanks mate. I know that its actually a good sign - I am on a much more even keel now then a few years ago body and mind. But sometimes I push it all a bit hard and I hate having a sore tummy.
Alright I hope to HELL that is the last time I need to go out for uni fieldwork - I’m so over driving to the most soulless and crammed of new outer suburbs in the north and west.
I will say, if I had to pick one, it would be Doreen, but I’m guessing the east side bordering Nillumbik / Yan Yean Rd is up there in price relative to age/distance to amenities, even I have to admit much of it is so beautifully landscaped.
No breakfast and lunch, bought a packet of Indian masala snacks and ate most of it on the way home, super salted/dried out now. I did also finally grab a jar of coconut oil after running out like a month ago - Colesworth just stopped stocking it out of the blue. I’ll have to hope this one’s decent…
Anyway it’s been hot and yucky and I’m pooped. I have to make these black eyed beans I put to soak in the am. Think I’ll be throwing all the aromatics into the food processor and doing a very lazy Hoppin’ John.
Sore as heck today. After an extended absence went back to training and really feeling it today.
Old age is not doing me any favour here.
gentle hugs
you can do this
Thank you. It’s manageable if I don’t focus on it.
the fact you train is cool, any ache is worth it. 😘
I’m not quite young anymore and feel unfit and out of shape, at the same time I am always shocked when my fitbit tells me I’m in the top tenth percentile for fitness for my age. wtf, most people my age must be slugs if I’m the fit one
The pain is 100% worth it.
And you keep on going!!
Maybe an epsom salts bath might help, or some pain cream
Gonna do a sauna session shortly. Always helps
nom nom, just had a mango ice cream
☠️
That’s awful 😕
Are you the person that’s allergic to mangoes? I’ve never heard of that one before. At least it wouldn’t be too hard to avoid I guess.
Fairfield boathouse could do with a proper deep clean and updated food options. It’s such a beautiful location and has so much potential, but it’s run down, sticky, and seems uncared for. A bit of harmonious modernisation while keeping the vintage vibe would work wonders.
Their calamari rocks.
Although they could certainly take a look at Studley Park boathouse down the road in terms of modernising.
Air conditioner has been aquired, but I will wait until tomorrow to wrestle it in from the car & plug it in etc. It looks in great nic, has all the bits and has even been stored with a dust cover on. Seller was a nice older guy who is getting rid of stuff in preparation for moving to Japan later this year.
I got my angles all wrong reversing into the driveway when I got home and needed to make multiple attempts before I got in. Fortunately there was no traffic, and everyone in the area is used to watching inept drivers try to master basic parking maneuvers as we are in a license testing area.
order slowly coming out of chaos
it’s tiring, it can be hard to see progress but it’s very satisfying
plus this is a lovely suburb to live in
also there are no shops or cafes in this suburb, not one , there is a sports club and it is possible to buy a coffee there , that is all
Off to raid the garden shop. Anyone want something?
Bottle of coke please.
It’s red and bottley
I feel like sneezing just looking at that.
Oops
Looks a bit awkward to get liquid out of that too :(
You need a beak
an orchid :)
yay, off to pick up a new desk and some garden chairs today 😄
Trying to scrounge up some motivation to do a grocery shop. The CBF factor is high lol. Maybe a second coffee will do the trick 🤪
Try a third coffee, that will have you so motivated you’ll be bouncing off the walls.
Source: the lady at work who had three coffees today
Same. Wife and I will venture out, but not looking forward to it.
☕️☕️☕️☕️
Thanks chef!
Airport trains are the bomb. Beats a taxi in Sydney any day.
Sydney Airport link is great, minus the $15 flat fee that increases during peak times. If I worked at the airport, I would probably take the bus to avoid paying $40 on top of the other Opal charges.
The price hasn’t come through yet (tapped on with phone figuring it would be cheaper then taxi). And 45mins to get across to the north suburbs is pretty good.
Yeah, it’s better than our transport to the airport. Hehe. I think it costs around the same as the skybus.
Operation Murder Yukkas has been paused. We’re gonna need a professional.
i have done it. First thing, cut off all the spikes , then then leaves, be sure to wear gloves and a strong shirt and safety glasses, then saw the trunk, they the stump
And then the flamethrower.
The biggest ones are more than 30cm at the base. Fuck knows how deep the root is. Boyo has cut a ‘small’ one to the ground (2 batteries on the rip saw) and given up digging pure clay.
Professional advice it is.
ok, the ones like trees are a bit different 😕
drill a hole in them and pour poison in there?
Yeah, diesel has been suggested. I suspect this will result in a long wait before rebuilding soil is possible. TBC
I’ve had luck with, as dumble said, holes and poison namely glyphosate.
Problem is the stump.
