Toots for thefathippy@mastodon.world account

Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-31 at 03:30

🤔 Probably for the best.

Plague soldier beetles [1] have gathered en masse to mate. 🤷

They have err... come together in mating clumps on taller grasses. It is believed that the grass gently rocking in the breeze helps ensure very high production of new beetles. [2]

[1] Plague not included

[2] Facts not included [3]

[3] facts here: https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8533

[#]bushlife

[#]Australia

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-27 at 00:50

I often boost toots from @georgepenney, an author living in Aotearoa (NZ)

TBH, there's underlying jealousy.

My boss called me a wordsmith - I crudely heated & belted the words others wrote into strong, functional pieces. George does words too, but unlike me, George is an artisanal wordjeweller - creating beauty & delight from the mundanity of daily life & human interactions.

Do yourself a favour, & give George a follow.

[#]FANuary

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-27 at 00:08

More cleaning up yesterday. Still lots of sadness, but when G found this from Hawai'i, he simply had to set it up.

In its packet, I'd have donated it. Set up, it's staying. 🥲

It took me back to that time a Fijian cop/cum tourist driver drove us to our day's destination. I think he believed his dashboard dancing hula girl protected him, because he drove mainly straddling the centreline - over crests, around blind corners, etc. Funny in retrospect, but scary then! 😱

[#]endAlzheimers

[#]memories

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-24 at 07:04

A young, wild, #RainbowLorikeet climbs a branch in my protected feed zone.

You can see where the name comes from... 😁

[#]BirdsofMastodon

[#]bushlife

[#]BlueMountains

[#]Australia

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-20 at 01:55

Hurrah! I have NBN again! I'm only 400m from the highway & have no 5G alternative (yet they do further out my road 🤷). Let me tell you, 4G really wasn't cutting it, image loading & video quality reminding me of the glory days of dial up, despite running much faster & using faster devices. Bloatware & enshittification, I guess.

As suspected, the NBN tech replaced the offending NBN box with an unfried version, a few minutes of devices shaking hands, & everything's tickety boo. ✅

[#]NBN

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-16 at 04:03

A win! Email from my vehicle insurer. "Your policy has been amended" Huh? Wha? I haven't spoken to them since October. 🤔

Turns out I'd paid for roadside assistance on a vintage vehicle, which transfers to all vehicles at no cost. I hadn't bothered for the MG, it has its own. Because it was no charge, they amended it without asking. I now have options, call MG, and if they're hours away, call Shannon's, who may be immediately available.

A small win, but I'll take it. 😁

[#]CarInsurance

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-15 at 08:52

Yup, that's a shitload of lightning. Storms stretching almost 1000km (600ml), from Victoria almost to Queensland 😱

[#]lightning

[#]Australia

[#]weather

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-15 at 07:51

It was bound to happen. For years I've laughed at panics about thunderstorms in the next town. "unplug, unplug, unplug" wailed all of Shelbyville, while Springfield cackled.

Well, Springfield's cackle season is over. Flash! BANG! No internet and the NBN box flashing its infamous red/blue light of death. 😭

[#]SmugNoMore

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-13 at 22:02

[#]Adobe just advised that my subscription was doubling in price (but I don't need to worry, it's still massively discounted🙄)

I just advised Adobe to cancel my subscription, giving me an even more massive discount (but you don't need to worry, Adobe, alternatives exist).

Bye 👋

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-12 at 06:01

Today's wildlife is some kind of caterpillar. Lens identifies a number of similar caterpillars, but nothing identical. Growing up locally, that colouration usually means "don't touch, it'll sting" - no matter how pretty. I didn't touch.

[#]caterpillar

[#]bushlife

[#]BlueMountains

[#]Australia

[edit: see Heath's reply below, I reckon he's got it]

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-11 at 09:36

A swamp wallaby in my backyard. That small fence is supposed to prevent wallabies being where this one is. 🙄That's my bit! There are literally kilometres of bush and swamps perfect for wallabies, starting just there, but no, garden it is. 🤷😂

[#]wallaby

[#]bushlife

[#]BlueMountains

[#]macropodsofmastodon

[#]Australia

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-10 at 04:07

One call, & they were suddenly cheaper across the board - as a valued customer for years I was paying more than new customers - or smarter customers, who'd haggled, or threatened to take their business elsewhere. I knew this happened. 🤦 I just didn't realise how much I was being overcharged. 🤦

I'll be watching my #PowerBills very closely from now on!

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-10 at 04:07

Not a brag

My elec rates are high. Have been for years, but bills were ok, because of solar H/W, some panels, & turning off. Winter's bill was through the roof. I upped my #solar, disabled underfloor heat I never deliberately used, & started comparing.

Armed with info, I called. "How much to leave?" "$0, but we can do better" yeah nah "I'll ask the special team - betterer"

Much. ~10c p kWh less, plus 22% off the total.

Moral. Call your power co & threaten to leave. I wish I had!🤦🤯

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-09 at 22:19

32 seconds of #weird lorikeets. They sat outside on the window sill for a good 20 minutes, dancing and vibrating their beaks on the glass, sometimes licking the glass and nibbling at each other.

No doubt babies will be coming. 😂

[#]BirdsofMastodon

[#]bushlife

[#]BlueMountains

[#]Australia

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-06 at 23:33

I hope this email finds you dancing, yeah

[#]email

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-05 at 05:44

Whoops! Still smoke - but much less!

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-05 at 05:30

Kaboom! Lightning. Close, not too close.

Hazards Near Me dings for a fire. [Looks at map. Leaps up & runs out to road] Phew. It's not at my place. It's down towards Bedford Creek. Moments later, volunteer firies are zooming past, sussing out any action. Happily they're soon heading to where I can see smoke, not where it was reported. Many sirens join in.

The bush is dry. There's no wind.

20 mins later, & I can't see smoke. Hooray! Great response, firies!

[#]BlueMountains

[#]bushlife

[#]RFS

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-04 at 04:51

Briefly tested cruise control on my 690 today. All very straightforward. Everything worked as claimed, disconnecting cruise on clutch, hand & foot brakes. Held speed downhill through a popular local speed trap. Held speed uphill. Kept going without my hand touching the throttle. Cruise!

Resting my r/h on long rides will be brilliant. I've never owned a bike with cruise, but enjoyed renting a GS that had it.

Next test, highway 100+ speeds, not local highway 80km/h speeds. 😎

[#]motorcycles

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-04 at 02:56

OK. Sure. Yes. Australia has lots of flies. 🤷 Sometimes they're pretty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenia_imperialis

[#]bushlife

[#]BlueMountains

[#]Australia

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Written by thefathippy on 2025-01-03 at 04:12

Ooh! Everyone's posting annual #solar stats.

I upgraded to a 10kWh system on 10/10. Near Sydney Australia, so it's at peak production.

Gen: 3.6MWh

Used: 746.1kWh

Import: 222.8kWh

Export: 3.1MWh

Max daily: 68.9kWh (24/12)

Least: 6.5kWh (29/11)

Largest use has been my #EV, sucking down ~1.8kWh, then AC & cooking (vary). Background - fridge etc = ~2-3kWh pd. I could be energy independent most of the year with a battery (V2H or wall), but winter would be close.

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