Spyke
aussie.zone

Why do people assume that everyone has friends or family that can help them out with things. I have a 90yo grandma, an estranged family, and a few casual friends that aren’t close enough to help out.

Why is life such a bitch all the time, I seem to be playing on “fuck you” level of difficulty.

15
Duenanreply
aussie.zone

I understand how you feel sadly :(

Just a fuck you and fuck you day after day with no signs of it ending and with no help available.

10

change often happens very very slowly

so many hugs

I wish things were easier for you.

2

There was a time when I was living in Europe and in a pretty bad situation. A husband who was in trouble ( again ) , a young daughter, no family, no friends.

I realised society has things in place to help people just like me, people who are alone. So I used the social services that were set up to help me and they helped me as much as they could.

Long term, that understanding of how our society works really helped me a lot.

So use every single free service you can use. Government, charity, church. It's meant for you.

So many hugs, you are not alone.

10

We're a group of people who are friendly who might be able to help if there was something specific?

7

You’re not alone in this, I often find myself in this situation too. It’s shitty but I can usually find an alternate way to do things if I think it through. It may not but the fastest or cheapest but it is what it is.

I think with more people being single, people having fewer or no children, less community groups, this situation is becoming more common and hopefully things can adjust so that people can be more independent when they need to. Doesn’t help right now though, of course.

4
aussie.zone

So a tradie I had over yesterday decided to chuck a fair bit of rubble / building material into the household waste. Would've weighed 40kg-ish and that likely wouldn't have been collected this morning.

there I am at 10pm in the driveway with the bin on its side shovelling it out into pots. The sensor light isn't the best so you sort of have to give it a good wave so it turns on.

Anyway dude across the street is a psychiatrist.. who witnessed me waving enthusiastically at the sensor several times between taking a shovel to a bin...

He asked if I was okay which was nice.

14
aussie.zone

At least he attempted clean up. The tradies I get just walk away from all the mess. Including their empty coffee cups, lunch scraps etc. have had to chase my dog to extract a mouldy sandwich before. (There’s an obvious rubbish bin close by)

8

You don’t want to know about some of the toileting stories from building sites!

5

@Baku @Mittens_meow I just want to add something here.

My strong suspicion is that a lot of the asbestos that has shown up in park mulch lately has been because some tradies have dumped a bunch of building waste in a green bin somewhere.

That's just a bunch and I could be wrong.

But it really wouldn't surprise me either.

4
aussie.zone

Had a very strange dream last night. It was lovely. A big party (I think it was a wedding). All sorts of people were there including some people I haven't seen for years. And one family member in particular was there and happy and we have a beautiful talk about how she is feeling happy and healthy and everything is wonderful.

Then you wake up and remember that person died nearly a decade ago. I don't really believe in that sort of heaven but its so nice to think they are at peace and happy (and watching - I certainly still talk to her all the time in my head). But man oh man am I feeling fragile today. Just needed to tell someone before I have a coffee and put my game face on for work. Hug your loved ones peeps.

12

I had a dream where I was a damaged tank in ww2 pushing a hill. Not crew. I was the tank.

Went well actually.

7

I dunno. We are so small and young in the grand scheme of things. Maybe there are somethings we just cant explain, events we cant possibly understand. A cosmic gift if you will. Glad you got to experience this!

6
aussie.zone

I've been writing my own album for about a year now. Usually I'm a guitarist in bands, or do acoustic singer stuff by myself.

So I've made this mix of industrial with a middle eastern vibe throughout.

I've been very hesitant to start recording vocals despite having lyrics all done.

I'm going to have a go tonight. Fuck it. Let's see how it plays out.

11
aussie.zone

Can you give me an arabic song that I can slip into the Spotify queue that will surprise the man. Preferably something cheesy with numerous habibis in there.

5
aussie.zone

I can't wait to hear your originals. Do you know of an arabic song by another artist that I can play now?

3
aussie.zone

Perfect 😂 😂 😂 I put a song on and he smiled and said "what the fuck is this?" and I showed him your comment "discount Arab Ricky Martin" and we both started cracking up. He's now put him in favourites 😂. Alif shook runs.

4

I was looking for something cheesy and arabic to make the man laugh so he has to translate it while shaking his head and laughing. Has to be on Spotify because that's what we are listening to.

1

I really, really dislike people that are just babbling into their phones non stop on public transport.

It's like nails on a chalkboard.

11
TinyBreakreply
aussie.zone

I can stand it so long as its not on speakerphone. But if your on ANY call in a bathroom you absolutely deserve to be shamed for it.

8

@Gibsonisafluffybutt @TinyBreak The other day, wifey and I caught a train and there was a lady who had a really blocked nose.

As in, she was awake, but full-on sounded like she was snoring.

Honk-pheeew honk-pheeew.

Both my partner and I took turns at giving her a dirty look. I gave her a full-blown death stare.

Honk-pheeew honk-pheeew.

She just looked back with a look that said: "What are you looking at me for? What did I do?"

Honk-pheeew honk-pheeew.

I usually carry a pocket pack of Kleenex tissues in my bag, but unfortunately I didn't have any on me.

Otherwise, I would have given her the packet and said: "Please, just take these — I INSIST!"

So gross!

2

One of my friends just had her second baby and all my other friends are jumping up straightaway to visit her as soon as possible. Is it wrong that I...just don't care? I mean I'm glad she has had a safe birth, the baby is healthy etc, I sent congratulations and contributed to a baby gift but...I'm sorry i'm not chomping at the bit to come and visit and check-in.

11

it actaully means a shit load more to give it a couple of weeks THEN go say hi. You go in the first couple of weeks? Its about the baby. You go after the excitement settles down and the craziness sets in? You're there to see your mate. Its the later weeks that are more lonely.

11
aussie.zone

Sounds perfectly rational to me. Actually, a visit from you might be more welcome in about a month's time when all the new has worn off and everyone else has stepped back a bit.

9

Exactly, just because you're not gaga doesn't mean you are mean. You have nothing to be sorry about

Don't let others set the standard of behaviour, set your own. There is more than one way to be a good caring person.

Hugs.

6
aussie.zone

Oh the excited dancing when I walk in the door with a fresh sack of cat biscuits! Sorry boys, it’s not dinner time yet.

10
aussie.zone

I love Gibson and all the pictures you post of her. I wish I had more time to draw. I'm going to need more shades of brown, grey, tan, ginger etc. in my pencil collection as I never seem to have quite the right tones when I'm in the mood to draw pets and it's annoying. The perfectionist in me is rarely happy unless the colours are just right.

3
aussie.zone

I'm glad to hear you say that because sometimes I feel like I'm spamming the thread lol

I'd love to see some of your drawings if you feel like posting them?

1

I did this picture of CEO'S dog when she bought him a new jumper, and I did this picture for a woman on Reddit who seemed like she could do with some cheering up. As you can see with CEO's dog pic, his head isn't how I'd have liked it because it's hard when you don't have the right colours to do the shading. Also it has to be good daylight and I have to have the right picture and the time to do it sighs.

1
aussie.zone

On top of everything else, it really makes a mockery of ‘you’ll get punished for lying in court’.

7
Seagoon_reply
aussie.zone

She will probably be deported after serving her time.

She might not have even be sentenced to time if she didn't flee the scene or lie and keep on lying. This will be lesson. Don't lie.

5

Still positive, birthday bash has been cancelled due to others in my family either getting the cold or also getting COVID.

Boring weekend incoming

9
aussie.zone

I had some really weird and disturbing dreams and am somehow awake before even 5:30. This is a very weird feeling. Not sure if I should get up and do something...

e: couldn't stay in bed any longer and am sat in my living room at 7 feeling most peculiar, waiting for some hash browns to cook while having a cup of decaf mocha. Maybe I'll head into work early and vamoose early as well. It's frahday.

9
aussie.zone

Methhead wandering down Flinders Street charging at people and yelling gibberish. Stay safe out there everyone

9
Dalek Thalreply
aussie.zone

Also, what do people recommend I do post being charged by a methhead. I've got to work but I'm still in a state of fear

9

Not sure whether you can, but forget the encounter. The other party has most likely forgotten you entirely.

Perhaps instead direct the dark thoughts to what you might do differently should a similar thing happen again?

7
aussie.zone

@[email protected] as promised I have procured and been using the ZeroCo cucumber and green tea deodorant!

Ok, I feel pretty confident speaking authoritatively on smells since I literally picked up a gas leak further away than a leak sniffer did, but as always YMMV:

I actually find this scent to be subtler than my usual (dove cucumber) and doesn't really have any chemical over or undertones. It smells stronger in the pouch, but on application via roller it's very very light to almost undetectable when I applied the same way I did dove. I did feel a bit of skin tingle on application, but more "I just used a mint-containing soap (and not on my genitals)" than anything else, and I've had no reaction and it's been several days and multiple applications . Haven't had the chance to test its efficacy after a hard slog of yardwork, but is holding up thus far.

I actually have some left in the pouch (you return them for refilling) and a bunch of those tiny little glass roller bottles floating about - if you like I could mail you a tiny sampler for sniffing and skin testing

edit: Ok I ended up doing a bit of hefting of things for a hot minute, and the scent of the deodorant has increased slightly. Still less than dove, and no BO undertones that it's trying to hide, so possibly just a heat reaction.

8

It's a good idea having refillable ones. Thanks but don't worry, the current one I have is still pretty full and tolerable!

1
aussie.zone

🍻🦕 heading out to shout myself dinner. Finished work on time on a Friday for once. CHEERS

4
aussie.zone

Ozbargain had a place selling raspberry pis for a decent price and I decided to order one.

Anyone here have one? And what do you use it for? I'm thinking it would be a chance to learn docker, I can use it to run pihole and still have it set up as an emulation station

8
aussie.zone

I always see the raspberry and get excited then I realise it's not raspberry pies. 😔

9

PiHole / bit of content filtering for the kids.
I'm very light touch here: I'd rather know they were going to PornHub and then know it's time to have "that" conversation than try to stop them going to PornHub.

5
Taleyareply
aussie.zone

Three, actually

  1. Octoprint print server for my 3d printer
  2. Retropi in a mini-SEGA case for taking around to mates places for retro gaming (non-N64)
  3. Brewpi for brewery
4
tombruzzoreply
aussie.zone

If I can use it to manage brewing it can give me another hobby

3

kinda other way around. You want the fundamentals before you get to the point of being anal enough to use a brewpi

4

I'll need to look into the synth side. We went to a community festival recently and they had plants with soil sensors hooked up to an RPI that played notes when you touched them.

I'm pretty sure the organelle is just an RPI in a fancy case as well

2

I've seen these and I think it's a fun idea. I'd almost prefer this layout instead of laptops if we had screens everywhere

1

I've had a pi 3b for a few years. Originally bought for uni projects and since then has been sitting idle. They are great if you're interested in projects like that - I told myself years ago that I would set up pi-hole etc, but just never got around to it. Gonna try and sell it with all the breadboards and sensors etc. Let me know if you have questions

1
aussie.zone

Got the day off work to look after Miniest while Mr P goes to an appointment. Apparently they cleaned the split system filters in her classroom while the class was in session. Dude came in and took it apart and started cleaning it with a paintbrush. The filters were filthy and dust was flying everywhere (not surprisin as the school has been a construction zone since the start of the year), the kids and even the teacher were coughing. Anyway it's triggered her dust allergy and she's at home today. That sort of stuff should be done outside of school hours, not while the class is in. Here I am cleaning ours at home while they are out of the room, and use a vacuum cleaner and actually suck up the dust, not flick it around with a brush, only to have the school do this. To say I'm angry is an understatement.

8
TinyBreakreply
aussie.zone

yeah thats bullshit. Especially if they know your kid has an allergy. I'd be hitting the principal with a "please explain"

5
aussie.zone

I'm writing an email once I've calmed down a bit, as I don't want the angry vibe to completely take over my vocabulary, as it does sometimes in these situations.

5

write it in a document when angry, don't send. Then read over when calmed down and garner your cliff notes.

3

friggin tradies man, supposed to be here at 8am. not even a call or text saying "sorry, gonna be late"

8
aussie.zone

130 bucks to discover the previous plumber stuffed up the original install. Shocker!

7
tone212_reply
aussie.zone

Love paying for the mistakes of other trades, happened to me recently.

7
aussie.zone

Breakfast 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋

6
aussie.zone

I've always wanted to ask about the breakfast emojis. What is the thing that is to the left of the blueberries?

5
aussie.zone

I cut and paste into Emojipedia to get the official answer:

Melon

A melon fruit in a light greenish-brown rind. Depicted as a cantaloupe by most platforms, but can resemble a honeydew at a distance.

4

If there's an emoji I don't recognise or it isn't showing up I click and drag with the left mouse button to select it, click the right mouse button on the selection then choose 'Google "[the emoji]"' from the menu that appears. Then Google usually shows a text description of what it is

2
00Stevereply
aussie.zone

I was so confused trying to find what you were talking about because i cant see any blueberries!! I assume they are left of the strawberry? My comp isnt showing me anything for them. > 🫐

3

That is odd. There are some emojis that don't show on all systems, but the blueberries should. If you would like to see what they are supposed to look like this emojipedia page shows you the design for all the different compute systems.

2
aussie.zone

learning and practicing how to use watercolour has commenced , I'm painting in the colouring book , title page in wash is my start :)

::: spoiler spoiler :::

6

oh boy, I'm used to nice pointy brushes and tried the flat ones, so hard to do detail with flat brushes. I think I will go back to pointy.

2
aussie.zone

Would this cause a good Aurora? Wish I was in Tasmania, would brave the cold to go see it!

3
aussie.zone

Yesssss. Visible as far north as Sydney they say. Round about midnight tonight and tomorrow night will be at its most intense. Could well be visible on the beach or suchlike here in Melbourne. Might pop on over to the hill behind Northcote Plaza to see if it's visible from there.

4
Catfishreply
aussie.zone

This lacks useful information, should I turn everything off? Or just avoid being in a helicopter? Beware of triffids?

2
aussie.zone

The triffids could be a problem. Would you like some of mine? I have a superfluity at present.

3
Catfishreply
aussie.zone

As do I. But they should be manageable if I retain my sight.

2

Don't look at the sky and thereafter when the triffids have taken over wear goggles and a face shield. Invest in a flame thrower or two.

2
aussie.zone

Here's my real life roman one.

Gramps bought it from a market stall in Africa WW2.

One of my favourite things to look at.

Interesting thing about it is the slight angle of the top bit (rim / throat?)

Also looks like it was made in two bits.

7
Seagoon_reply
aussie.zone

That's a small amphora meant for household and table use. You can tell by the size of the handles and the base to stand on. The really really large ones for transport and storage have a pointed base and wider mouths.

( I used to collect museum replicas of Greek antiquities. ) Most of the big decorative urns you see in collections are funerary urns , big urns to bury bones in.

5

@CEOofmyhouse56 @Seagoon_ It's apparently an amphora, which was apparently a type of container/vase used to transport wine and food.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about 'em:

"Amphorae were used in vast numbers for the transport and storage of various products, both liquid and dry, but mostly for wine. They are most often ceramic, but examples in metals and other materials have been found. Versions of the amphorae were one of many shapes used in Ancient Greek vase painting."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphora

Now I want one, haha

4
aussie.zone

That makes alot more sense. Interesting that they went with a amphora and not an actual bottle of wine. 🍾 will have to do for now.

2
dumblederpreply
aussie.zone

I think it's a roman orgy wine vase. e: seeing the other reply I'm not far off.

4

After trying a bunch of local gyms, ended up signing up for the council one. Equipment gets fixed quickly. Staff always on hand. Very clean and modern. No dickheads and show offs.

Even had a staff member tell some 'influencer' that recording is not allowed without the consent of everyone else around.

8

I always like the option of a 24 hour gym, but in reality I'm never there outside of the "regular" hours (except maybe early evening Saturdays). Pool and classes would tip me over the edge until the rate is crazy high.

Good on you for getting the pysch appt booked!

5
aussie.zone

Cuddly pet... she likes to share the hot water bottle but I worry about her getting burned. (I need mine super hot and often have it unwrapped.) I have two, one just bought but the older one is well due for replacement so may buy her her own hottie with a fluffy faux fur bunny cover.

As it gets colder I'll plug her heated bed in too. Just a little bit worried about whether the heating pad insert is still safe to use. It's a cheap Kmart job I've had for about four years and the wire traveling in may be a weak point for any bending or twisting that has occurred. Perhaps if I supervise use for safety I could slip in another brand of heating pad. I need to tease out/smooth the padding that lumped up during washes too. It's given good service though - bought for $40 during lockdown and through cold weather she's lived in it. Perhaps if it gets really bad I could unpick a small seam and restuff it.

I thought of those microwavable discs sold at pet shops but they're like $80 and I'd have to remember/keep pulling it out from under her to reheat it. I have a wheat bag but similar annoyance with not holding heat for as long

4
aussie.zone

Those microwavable discs are great at holding heat, but Miss Meow showed no interest in lying on it. I think too hard and not flat enough. Even with some padding on top she ignored it in favour of sitting on top of the computer.

3
TinyBreakreply
aussie.zone

what about a heat pack? like those oat filled things you get from chemist warehouse? Or a heated blanket set to low?

3

I've got a wheat bag but I'd have to pull it out from under her to reheat it. I've found another pet heat pad in the cupboard so might see if she takes to it

1

Doesn't sound worth the money then if she doesn't like it, I'll stick to the other choices

2
aussie.zone

OMG it's Friday. Why am I still up?

Do you think it might have anything to do with those cups of coffee I had today, even though I knew I was overdoing it after having abstained from caffeine entirely recently?

4
aussie.zone

I gave up caffeine for these reasons and it didn't help... all that happened is now if I try to drink something caffeinated it hits me really hard.

So probably

2

I gave up coffee because I was starting to feel the ritual of making coffee was something I was being trapped by, not something I was really enjoying any more. And I was right, I have been enjoying not feeling it is something I have to do every morning and can instead choose to do if I want to. But I might have chosen it a couple of times more than I should have considering my reduced tolerance - I normally go to bed sometime around 8 or 9, still being awake at 2am is going to hurt me tomorrow!

4

sorting books, getting rid of all the art books I have read and aren't good, the little down to earth watercolour handbook without flashy glossy colour pics is the most useful. Will keep that one.

Found note books full of memos, I no longer remember what they are even about. Shredded and tossed.

All that daiso paper and ink, easily and cheaply replaced.

4

@Seagoon_ So I'm getting a head start on the weekend by getting a couple of loads of washing done this evening.

But.

It annoys me that they no longer include a scoop with the laundry powder anymore.

Yes, I'm all for less plastic.

So why not make the scoop out of cardboard?

Our local Chinese takeaway can figure out how to do a cardboard soup spoon. You're telling me the global multinational can't figure out how to do a laundry powder scoop from cardboard?

3
aussie.zone

This annoys me too. It’s too fiddly to figure out how many grams or teaspoons it whatever measure they suggest you use, and find an appropriately sized vessel at home. Just give me a scoop or sell it separately.

3

@SituationCake Absolutely! And I don't mind paying 50 cents or whatever to buy a scoop.

Here's the real kicker: "Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients".

So they ship (at least some of) the chemicals in the detergent from overseas instead of making them locally?

1
aussie.zone

Go to your local Vinnes or Brotherhood or Salvos. Look in the kitchenware section for a 1/2 or 1/3 cup measuring scoop or spoon or cup. May cost you all of 20 cents. My local Vinnies has zillions of these that have become detached from their sets and are perfect for the purpose.

3

@Thornburywitch That's a really good suggestion 😊

My partner tidied up the laundry during the week and threw out the old container — with the scoop — without thinking.

I did manage to find a lid that was roughly the right size, thankfully.

On the upside, most of the washing will be out of the way, meaning one less chore to do over the weekend 😎

1
aussie.zone

Well, that Netflix Life on our Planet doc has got one of the most detailed and convincingly animated dinosaur obliterating asteroid scenes I've ever seen.... May not have been the best choice for (young kids) family viewing Friday....

3

Hahahah you've reminded me of the GI Joe movie. I saw a review that was ostensibly negative - it basically said 'it's like they gave a bunch of GI Joe toys to a ten-year-old, and then made a movie out of what ensued.'

I thought the image was so hilarious that I watched the movie. 🤣

4

Yes. There are deciduous trees around my house and usually the wind does a nice job of ushering the fallen leaves towards one area, which makes them easier to clean up. This past couple of weeks leaves are everywhere and wind seems to be in strike.

3

Now that you mention it, yes. It's still out in the burbs , once I'm closer to the bay in Carlton it's a little bit blowier.

And I have noticed the weather seems to be drier than usual.

2

So before the power potentially carks it..

Behold the Baguette of misfortune

There was post recently on the site that won't be mentioned about RR. That didn't look very good whatever that roll was. But I still maintain their chips are up there.

2