If you own a cat keep it the fuck inside! Some twit in my area let's their's out all hours of the night and it's discovered a cat lives in my house, so every night it's been coming to the back door to picks fights with mine through the glass.
I'm quite sure it's the same cat pissing on everything and sneaking into my garage. I just don't understand how anyone could just let this thing they are supposed to love out to roam all over.
Good plan. I shall stop at Officeworks on the way home and buy a trolleyful. Then I shall go to all the other Officeworks until the garage is full. Hang on, I don't have a garage. This could be tricky.
Update on the Google Home situation: It seems when it got an update it decided to add a whole lot of motivational shit, extra lights, extra rooms, alarms etc. The man is now going through both phones to sort it out (the kid doesn't have the app). In the whole 5+ years we've had this, this has never happened. The war with bots has begun.
I shall reward him with pork belly. (The man that is).
I move to my new place this Saturday and I haven't started packing yet 🤕
I don't have much stuff and the new place is fully furnished anyway so I'm being a bit lazy. I have boarded a bunch of stuff that I need to first get rid of though but that probably won't take much time. Will need to buy a couple of boxes today. Physio, then boxes.
Good as a bought one. Congrats! You have added a new life skill to your repetoire! Um, I have some cracked plaster you could unleash your inner genius on if you are so minded .....
Google Home continues to talk to me today. It's bizarre because no settings have been changed. Occasionally she gets triggered by the TV and goes on a tangent then we all have a laugh but this ain't funny any more. I've asked her nicely to stop speaking, twice. She doesn't realise how close I am to ending her life. 😡
Update: I have hopefully deactivate the messages. It's truly a mystery because I never activated them in the first place and I know nobody else did either.
It's the Workday routine under Automations in the Google Home app. Something or someone has activated. Maybe ask Google Home to disable the Workday routine, or turn it off in the app.
Would there be a chance that someone from your household might be messing with you....? I've got 4 googles throughout my house, and none of them are acting up. Anyone who has the Home app installed with your household devices listed can use the (hey Google...) Broadcast function when they are not connected to the home wifi to relay messages... I've used it multiple times to freak out the kids or ask my partner to call me back when I know she's likely got her phone on DnD.
Omg. Thank you. I went into Home which I had to find because I never use it. Went into workday and there's all these automated messages there. Deleted the whole lot. It was coming from my phone which is why the others were confused. You have saved my sanity thank you again.
Oh Bot001, you irresponsible cad. I know I've been stupid, after getting a sudden wind to cram some work in at 8:30pm and going on and on until it's time for the bloody Red Wattlebird to sound its heinous alarm, but we trusted you to be a little more regular...
well, time for the blackout blind to do its work, I'm so doomed today.
Akshully, I think Ballarat is a hotbed of foxhunting - in cars that is. Where one vehicle is the fox, and the other vehicles attempt to track it and the fox vehicle to escape. Requires some serious hardware on the vehicle to monitor locations etc. There are clubs for it.
I always wondered what radios they are running with antennas that long. Is it HF for better long range communication as UHF (What a normal CB uses) a full wave antenna is only around 70cm.
Joining the Should've Stayed in Bed Team this morning! Tired even though I slept great, headachey, stupid tasks and stupid people at work driving me crazy.
I've given the bot a full restart and will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it is doing it's job again. It posted the daily Food Australia thread with no problems and there are no errors in the logs so I have no idea why is it being so recalcitrant about this one.
S3 of Mr Inbetween has been amazing, between the gym owner and the first episode and the dad and Vajankle... I'll be sad when this show ends. Honestly one of the best Australian shows without a doubt
E: okay I've just finished e7 and I'm not sure about this character decision... ah well
Can I suggest checking After Life out? I think it might make my top 3 this year. It is insanely hilarious while being super depressing at the same time. I love love the show.
Oooo. If you liked Mr Inbetween you might like After the Verdict on 9 now. It's got Magda Szubanski in it. It's a bit like Deadloch but better and without the filth. Very funny.
Ok, I bought the cheapest $30 ukulele from Manny’s because it cost the same as the Big W one but would possibly be better quality. I didn’t want the $15 from Kmart because apparently thick layers of paint dull the sound.
It’s a Mahalo Kahiko series, soprano size because I wanted to go with something very standard. So it’s this plain little guy. Apparently other budget ones are much better, there are criticisms, but this is considered ok for the very low price. Just a barely decent starter for schools who bulk buy for kid students but can’t stretch the budget to the Dolphin.
And yeah, even with hearing that the default strings are bad and should be upgraded, it sounds actually… okay? It kind of rings? Not as plunk as the more novelty ones but not so expensive that I’d be devastated to break it or not stick with it. (Honestly the most likely outcome.)
Buttt… I went to the Mahalo tuning guide, saw the diagram for soprano, began playing the note to tune the first string. However the string meant to be C doesn’t sound like a C. The E string is making the C sound! Dead on!
It this just a matter of tension? However I see the strings are different thicknesses which matters. Have I made some mistake already?
The peg for the C string is near the M of the logo so I’m not holding it backwards.
Did they mix up the sound clips? Or did they string it backwards? Will I need to restring it?
I know one thing and one thing only. That sound from that string matches the clip exactly but it is coming from the wrong string.
:::
The G string now sounds about right though. It’s a little sour and flat still but I kept tightening it and rechecking the sound and I’ve got a rough approximation.
Edit: I have now tuned 1 (one) string correctly by ear.
😿👍
Edit 2: I don’t fucking believe this. I don’t think this can be right. But I know how to listen carefully, I’ve been tuning, and if I can trust the sound clips on the manufacturer’s website are right - it sounds like this ukulele arrived with the C and E strings swapped.
I’m going to try and tune it all the best I can, consult another guide, listen to notes in isolation on YouTube to check, and then it may be I have to learn how to restring this.
Edit 3: Ok, something is going on with the tuning pegs too. I have to turn these ones in a different direction to tighten them than the ones on the opposite side? But I press my finger to the string and turn in the direction where I can feel it tighten. Tightening is what needs to happen to make the note higher and brighter. I’ve now got the A string kind of on track.
If only I could ask Google Home who put the messages there 💡
This reminds me of the time my washing machine started filling up with water during the night. It freaked me out hard. Turns out it was a timing issue.
So today I learned that some older land titles in Melbourne extend to the centre of the earth, and that’s why people over the Westgate tunnel project got compensation. Seems like this archaic situation should really be fixed up with some legislation before we do any more large infrastructure projects. Cost blowouts means less money for other projects. I really doubt those property owners were about to use that specific dirt for anything.
Ok! I took a break, came back fresh and I do not think I have to restring it. No idea what happened there… the E sounded exactly like a C right out of the box and having difficulty getting the sound for the other I assumed they had been swapped…
I was gaslit by my own instrument. But while it’s not perfect, all of the strings are now roughly in the right ballpark.
I got this thing yesterday, it’s the first time I’ve ever had or tuned a stringed instrument, by ear, so I’m taking the win. 👍😺
I’ll still be looking at other tuning guides for second opinions or anything I missed. (This was done by open plucking of single strings.) I’m sure I’ll soon hear if it hasn’t been done properly.
mrs spent the last night coughing so much she puked, so I evacuated to the guest bed again. Spending so much time there it might be time to get it a better mattress.
I was changing gears on my bike in late 2021 and the chain came off the inner ring and ground into the frame of my bike. It made a huge mess of the carbon:
Taking the bike frame to a carbon specialist and repairing this cost me $1,000. Then, I bought a whole new drive train: chain, rear cassette and front rings - costing a further $500. $1,500 is a massive investment - I justify these big services on the bike by comparing them to train fares - that's 50 weeks of train trips.
So anyway, it happened again on Friday morning. Exactly the same thing: I changed gears, the chain has come off the inner ring and ground into the frame of my bike. It has made another (admittedley smaller) mess of the carbon in my frame.
So, I took the bike to the shop. They are unwilling to do anything about this situation. 'Not our fault, our work is good - the gears and chain are obviously working fine and we don't have this problem with anyone else. It's your fault'. They best he's willing to do is give me parts at cost for the repair, once I spend another $1,000ish getting the frame repaired again.
I wasn't blaming the bike shop, I was blaming the design of the bike. But they don't think they can bring Trek into this.
I don't know what to do about this. I really like my bike usually, but spending $3,000 on it over 2 years, only to have a 6-year-old bike at the end of it was never on the cards. I doubt I'd even get $1,500 for it if I tried to sell it. I'd almost be better off giving the bike away as-is and putting that $1,500 toward a new bike. Probably not a Trek this time. I feel like I have the bike equivalant of a write-off.
If you can pickup a frame the same size you should be able to swap the parts over. I snapped my carbon bike in half and have ridden on steel ever since. I managed to transfer most of the parts over. You could take your bike to CERES during one of their workshop sessions and rebuild it if they've got a frame a suitable size. I was looking at getting a trek 520 and only heard bad things about the design - seems the crack at the seat pole.
I rode a 1988 Shogun Katana as my daily until 2006. 18 years, and many thousands of kilometers - I honestly don't know how many as we didn't have Strava in the 20th century. I loved this bike. I love it more than I have loved any bike I've owned since.
But I honestly don't think I could go back to Steel. I could probably go back to alloy with carbon forks (My 2006 Avanti Vivace). That bike also lasted 10+ years until I got a crack in the frame.
The Avanti died at an inconvenient time (was moving house), and I had to buy another alloy bike on short notice/a tight budget. That was when I got my first Trek (a 1.2). I liked it, but it only lived for 18 months before I was hit by a car on it in 2019.
I got my current Trek second-hand with the insurance payout. I picked up the Madone second-hand, because I could never justify $6k for a bike. Joke's on me, right? If I spend another $1.5k on it now, I'll have paid nearly $6 for it anyway.
Well that was an interesting night. Someone has come to the front door at around 1am and banged on it really forcefully, then banged on the window a few times (almost hard enough to break it according to my MIL). By the time she got out of bed, came in and woke Mr P (who vaulted out of bed; first 24hrs of wearing a nicotine patch too, poor bugger!) the culprit was long gone. He didn't really get back to sleep after that. It's happened a few times before, seems to be happening every 6 months or so. Last time it happened, a woman who lives at the end of the street had it happen to her and she answered the door and was assaulted. I've been down a rabbit hole of security cameras and doorbell cams since then. Some are really pricey (I know I know, what price safety? I'm just as broke as a joke right now!) Some need to be wired in, some need a subscription, some don't have great night vision.. aargh! If any of you have any recommendations I would sincerely appreciate. For now I'm off to work to do pizza bases. Lots of them!
They're kinda shitty, but a single reolink argus 3 w/solar panel, will connect to your wifi, has a free could backup, you can see it on your phone or pc at home or away from home. Being battery/wifi it catches things late, but it still gets most things. People walking past not so much, walking to the door it'll get em. Being solar and wifi, you just screw it in somewhere, don't need a tech to run power or ethernet cables.
You can use a $60 wifi cam placed inside if theres a good window spot. Turn OFF night vision (the led will just glare off the glass) and use your security sensor light. Tp-link's tapo are all right
A roast leg of lamb with all the trimmings and accompaniments please, served with a glass of your finest Merlot. Oh, who am I kidding leave the bottle.
Seems to be one of those days and it’s not even lunchtime yet. Not a great start to the morning, now ubering to work late and it’s $56. Better than the $80+ I paid one time, but still a lot for what is usually a ~$20 trip. Eek.
154 Comments
calhoon2005@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 2y
New pencils.... Maiden lunch note with them. They blend pretty well.
underwatermagpies@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Ooh, pretty!
bananafungus@aussie.zone · 11 pts · 2y
If you own a cat keep it the fuck inside! Some twit in my area let's their's out all hours of the night and it's discovered a cat lives in my house, so every night it's been coming to the back door to picks fights with mine through the glass.
I'm quite sure it's the same cat pissing on everything and sneaking into my garage. I just don't understand how anyone could just let this thing they are supposed to love out to roam all over.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
I hate that. Same thing is happening here.
the_procrastinata@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Time to get a cat trap!
StudChud@aussie.zone · 11 pts · 2y
Got my doc appointment today. Ugh. UGH!
Duenan@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
It'll be over before you know it, you can do it!
baconmash@aussie.zone · 10 pts · 2y
botbot has been on strike two days in a row, and CEO's Google Home has been speaking unprompted.
These events are related.
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Fuck Optus. I'm not with Optus but fuck 'em anyway.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
I'm not either but Fuck Optus
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
You think the Great Bot Uprising is starting?
Do I need to stock up on toilet paper?
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
this time we need printer paper
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Is that safe? Don't the bots control the printers?
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
we have to pretend to submit to the bots while we plan our counterstrike
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Good plan. I shall stop at Officeworks on the way home and buy a trolleyful. Then I shall go to all the other Officeworks until the garage is full. Hang on, I don't have a garage. This could be tricky.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
you can store some of them at my place
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Hey, is this a cunning plan to get more paper for the after eight business?
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 9 pts · 2y
Update on the Google Home situation: It seems when it got an update it decided to add a whole lot of motivational shit, extra lights, extra rooms, alarms etc. The man is now going through both phones to sort it out (the kid doesn't have the app). In the whole 5+ years we've had this, this has never happened. The war with bots has begun.
I shall reward him with pork belly. (The man that is).
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Google Home is now disappointed and will have a long chat with you again to understand why you won't feed it some pork belly.
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Has it washed its hands?
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
I don't know but it shut the fuck up finally.
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 9 pts · 2y
I move to my new place this Saturday and I haven't started packing yet 🤕
I don't have much stuff and the new place is fully furnished anyway so I'm being a bit lazy. I have boarded a bunch of stuff that I need to first get rid of though but that probably won't take much time. Will need to buy a couple of boxes today. Physio, then boxes.
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Has the door repair been sorted?
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
I did an ok job - https://i.imgur.com/lv7iuLQ.jpg
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
That’s a great job
cherryripesalmoncake@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
🤜
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Good as a bought one. Congrats! You have added a new life skill to your repetoire! Um, I have some cracked plaster you could unleash your inner genius on if you are so minded .....
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
I'm actually happy that I decided to do it myself. Cheaper and got to learn something cool and new. Life skills unlocked!
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 9 pts · 2y
Google Home continues to talk to me today. It's bizarre because no settings have been changed. Occasionally she gets triggered by the TV and goes on a tangent then we all have a laugh but this ain't funny any more. I've asked her nicely to stop speaking, twice. She doesn't realise how close I am to ending her life. 😡
Update: I have hopefully deactivate the messages. It's truly a mystery because I never activated them in the first place and I know nobody else did either.
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 11 pts · 2y
I can't let you do that, Dave.
bull@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 2y
It's the Workday routine under Automations in the Google Home app. Something or someone has activated. Maybe ask Google Home to disable the Workday routine, or turn it off in the app.
Bottom_racer@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
GhOsT iN tHe MaChInE
calhoon2005@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Would there be a chance that someone from your household might be messing with you....? I've got 4 googles throughout my house, and none of them are acting up. Anyone who has the Home app installed with your household devices listed can use the (hey Google...) Broadcast function when they are not connected to the home wifi to relay messages... I've used it multiple times to freak out the kids or ask my partner to call me back when I know she's likely got her phone on DnD.
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
You're a bastard 😂. it's hopefully fixed now.
00Steve@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
A setting has changed, maybe not deliberately. Check out your automations in the home app, look for something called workday or similar.
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Omg. Thank you. I went into Home which I had to find because I never use it. Went into workday and there's all these automated messages there. Deleted the whole lot. It was coming from my phone which is why the others were confused. You have saved my sanity thank you again.
bull@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Ah just saw this one, you got it
SituationCake@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
The budding AI overloads testing your tolerance levels of being told what to do.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Assistant Settings > Continued Conversation
Is this off
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Hopefully I've turned everything off. The whole thing is bizarre.
underwatermagpies@aussie.zone · 9 pts · 2y
I've started the day well, by missing the cup and pouring the boiling water on my toes.
I don't blame Bot001 for going back to bed.
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Ouch! Hope you’re ok
underwatermagpies@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Toes still wiggle, I reckon the cold water was enough and there's no need to amputate just yet.
just_kitten@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 2y
Oh Bot001, you irresponsible cad. I know I've been stupid, after getting a sudden wind to cram some work in at 8:30pm and going on and on until it's time for the bloody Red Wattlebird to sound its heinous alarm, but we trusted you to be a little more regular...
well, time for the blackout blind to do its work, I'm so doomed today.
Hanhula@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y
Managed to keep myself off Reddit and Kbin for a while, but sometimes meetings just get too boring. Glad to see this place still going!
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
The eternal discussion.
Baku@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 2y
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
It's hard to pick up radio stations up there. 😜
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Is that the google maps machine????
Baku@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Akshully, I think Ballarat is a hotbed of foxhunting - in cars that is. Where one vehicle is the fox, and the other vehicles attempt to track it and the fox vehicle to escape. Requires some serious hardware on the vehicle to monitor locations etc. There are clubs for it.
FunkyClown@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
I always wondered what radios they are running with antennas that long. Is it HF for better long range communication as UHF (What a normal CB uses) a full wave antenna is only around 70cm.
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
I don’t think anyone is running around with HF?. It seems the longer antenna as pictured would be a UHF for longer distance over flat terrain.
FunkyClown@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Ah, so higher gain and better for long flat distances. Makes sense.
SpinMeAround@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 2y
Joining the Should've Stayed in Bed Team this morning! Tired even though I slept great, headachey, stupid tasks and stupid people at work driving me crazy.
Llabyrinthine@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Oh wow, was something in the air? I slept well, but ran out of steam so quickly today.
indisin@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 2y
Gibsonisafluffybutt@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
Cramming so much IT stuff for the interview. They use an ERP (Oracle NetSuite) which I haven't used before.
They know that, but I want to be able to answer some questions and show that I've been working in the background.
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
I woke up and Ted Cat was licking my hair 😸😨
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
He has a weird obsession with your body parts 😂
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
he's a strange boy
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
He's tasting you...raw.
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Are you sure you’re feeding him enough?
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
I’m sure bot just overslept…
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
I've given the bot a full restart and will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it is doing it's job again. It posted the daily Food Australia thread with no problems and there are no errors in the logs so I have no idea why is it being so recalcitrant about this one.
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
So Bot has a side-hustle? Probably just exhausted.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
You know the economy is bad when even the bots are moonlighting
baconmash@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
yeah i see him at after eight sometimes too
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
Zoolander is on.🤭
Force_majeure122@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Honestly one of my favourite movies of all time. It's perfect
tone_212@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
Is it Black Friday? Already getting spammed with emails and messages about sales starting. Used to be one day sales, now it's like the entire month.
Llabyrinthine@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Yeah, it’s ridiculous. Had my eyes on a few things, but these online stores are already on sale and they’re sold out.
Didn’t even realise they’d started.
just_kitten@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
hm I see they finally sacked Cruella Braverman, that insidious little shit. UK politics seems so dire these last few years.
cherryripesalmoncake@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
I miss it.
The Australian remake is a poorly scripted knock off, like usual.
bull@aussie.zone · 7 pts · 2y
Bought a big bag of rolled oats so I can start having porridge for breakfast. $2.70 for 1.5kg of rolled oats? Shiiiiiit dems some cheap eatins!
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
yum, porridge on cold mornings is delicious
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
You should try a few overnight oats recipes as well. Very quick and easy and delishhhhhhhhh
bull@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
I'll look into this!
Edit: turns out I had the stuff to make some so I've set one up for tomorrow!
just_kitten@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
S3 of Mr Inbetween has been amazing, between the gym owner and the first episode and the dad and Vajankle... I'll be sad when this show ends. Honestly one of the best Australian shows without a doubt
E: okay I've just finished e7 and I'm not sure about this character decision... ah well
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
My favourite bit was when he asked the young girl if she wants to do a "take down". I laughed hard at that.
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Can I suggest checking After Life out? I think it might make my top 3 this year. It is insanely hilarious while being super depressing at the same time. I love love the show.
just_kitten@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Normally that premise would've sold me but I have a profound allergy to Ricky Gervais unfortunately...
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Oooo. If you liked Mr Inbetween you might like After the Verdict on 9 now. It's got Magda Szubanski in it. It's a bit like Deadloch but better and without the filth. Very funny.
just_kitten@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Looks like and short and easy, I might check it out... Though I'ill have to adjust my standards so as not to compare everything to Mr Inbetween heh.
Bottom_racer@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
T-minus 1 more sleep until I look after the border collie Hambam again.
Will he attempt to herd inanimate objects?
Will he take 3hrs at the dog park when it should've only been 1hr?
Himbo don't care that the answer to those is yes.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
What the actual fuck.
::: spoiler Ukulele fuckups right out of the gate
Ok, I bought the cheapest $30 ukulele from Manny’s because it cost the same as the Big W one but would possibly be better quality. I didn’t want the $15 from Kmart because apparently thick layers of paint dull the sound.
It’s a Mahalo Kahiko series, soprano size because I wanted to go with something very standard. So it’s this plain little guy. Apparently other budget ones are much better, there are criticisms, but this is considered ok for the very low price. Just a barely decent starter for schools who bulk buy for kid students but can’t stretch the budget to the Dolphin.
And yeah, even with hearing that the default strings are bad and should be upgraded, it sounds actually… okay? It kind of rings? Not as plunk as the more novelty ones but not so expensive that I’d be devastated to break it or not stick with it. (Honestly the most likely outcome.)
Buttt… I went to the Mahalo tuning guide, saw the diagram for soprano, began playing the note to tune the first string. However the string meant to be C doesn’t sound like a C. The E string is making the C sound! Dead on!
It this just a matter of tension? However I see the strings are different thicknesses which matters. Have I made some mistake already?
The peg for the C string is near the M of the logo so I’m not holding it backwards.
Did they mix up the sound clips? Or did they string it backwards? Will I need to restring it?
I know one thing and one thing only. That sound from that string matches the clip exactly but it is coming from the wrong string.
:::
The G string now sounds about right though. It’s a little sour and flat still but I kept tightening it and rechecking the sound and I’ve got a rough approximation.
Edit: I have now tuned 1 (one) string correctly by ear.
😿👍
Edit 2: I don’t fucking believe this. I don’t think this can be right. But I know how to listen carefully, I’ve been tuning, and if I can trust the sound clips on the manufacturer’s website are right - it sounds like this ukulele arrived with the C and E strings swapped.
I’m going to try and tune it all the best I can, consult another guide, listen to notes in isolation on YouTube to check, and then it may be I have to learn how to restring this.
Edit 3: Ok, something is going on with the tuning pegs too. I have to turn these ones in a different direction to tighten them than the ones on the opposite side? But I press my finger to the string and turn in the direction where I can feel it tighten. Tightening is what needs to happen to make the note higher and brighter. I’ve now got the A string kind of on track.
calhoon2005@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Check out the guitar tuna app. It has a uke setting too.
https://yousician.com/guitartuna
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Thanks, I’ll check there too
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
I'm totes impressed with your musical skills. 👍😸
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
I am a dumbass noob and basically going like this
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
The lower ones are a different direction yes. You turn the E A pegs towards your right to tighten. At least that's what mine does.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Ahh good, ty
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Ahhh that's annoying
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
I’m not taking crazy pills right?
That’s a factory mistake that can happen with cheap mass manufactured instruments?
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
You're not taking crazy pills. The strings, played from top to bottom, are G C E A, all within the same octave.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
The one in the E position was making the C sound.
Those are the last two left so I’ll tune them… and then maybe that can tell me if it arrived strung wrong
baconmash@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
I'd take the ukulele to the shop and make them switch the strings. It's a manufacture defect they need to know about.
and get a free 2 min lesson out of themmelbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
I got it online. I really don’t want to go to the shop for reasons
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Ah, I hope you can find a good string swap guide online then.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Bah, husbands bein' an ass. Can i bite him?
Thornburywitch@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Yes. Pick the spot carefully.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Like a true ginger, i'm going for the rump
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
I think Seagoon’s cat could help you with that…
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Te-ed, got a job for you 😀😸
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
If only I could ask Google Home who put the messages there 💡
This reminds me of the time my washing machine started filling up with water during the night. It freaked me out hard. Turns out it was a timing issue.
SituationCake@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
So today I learned that some older land titles in Melbourne extend to the centre of the earth, and that’s why people over the Westgate tunnel project got compensation. Seems like this archaic situation should really be fixed up with some legislation before we do any more large infrastructure projects. Cost blowouts means less money for other projects. I really doubt those property owners were about to use that specific dirt for anything.
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
Ok! I took a break, came back fresh and I do not think I have to restring it. No idea what happened there… the E sounded exactly like a C right out of the box and having difficulty getting the sound for the other I assumed they had been swapped…
I was gaslit by my own instrument. But while it’s not perfect, all of the strings are now roughly in the right ballpark.
I got this thing yesterday, it’s the first time I’ve ever had or tuned a stringed instrument, by ear, so I’m taking the win. 👍😺
I’ll still be looking at other tuning guides for second opinions or anything I missed. (This was done by open plucking of single strings.) I’m sure I’ll soon hear if it hasn’t been done properly.
Actually I’m afraid to touch it again now. lol
wscholermann@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Yeah, I might get something to double check
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
🎶🎵
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
I can’t wait to suck this bad. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MCkeg99jQZQ
That’s gonna be another public mental breakdown
baconmash@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
ahhahahhahhaha that’s me but im worse
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Why can’t I just immediately be this good https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a7SliN-82P0
I’m still very much not a ukulele person (my taste runs heavier, this is a baby step to learn) but you have to admit that’s lovely
TinyBreak@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
mrs spent the last night coughing so much she puked, so I evacuated to the guest bed again. Spending so much time there it might be time to get it a better mattress.
Nath@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
I was changing gears on my bike in late 2021 and the chain came off the inner ring and ground into the frame of my bike. It made a huge mess of the carbon:
Taking the bike frame to a carbon specialist and repairing this cost me $1,000. Then, I bought a whole new drive train: chain, rear cassette and front rings - costing a further $500. $1,500 is a massive investment - I justify these big services on the bike by comparing them to train fares - that's 50 weeks of train trips.
So anyway, it happened again on Friday morning. Exactly the same thing: I changed gears, the chain has come off the inner ring and ground into the frame of my bike. It has made another (admittedley smaller) mess of the carbon in my frame.
So, I took the bike to the shop. They are unwilling to do anything about this situation. 'Not our fault, our work is good - the gears and chain are obviously working fine and we don't have this problem with anyone else. It's your fault'. They best he's willing to do is give me parts at cost for the repair, once I spend another $1,000ish getting the frame repaired again.
I wasn't blaming the bike shop, I was blaming the design of the bike. But they don't think they can bring Trek into this.
I don't know what to do about this. I really like my bike usually, but spending $3,000 on it over 2 years, only to have a 6-year-old bike at the end of it was never on the cards. I doubt I'd even get $1,500 for it if I tried to sell it. I'd almost be better off giving the bike away as-is and putting that $1,500 toward a new bike. Probably not a Trek this time. I feel like I have the bike equivalant of a write-off.
dumblederp@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
If you can pickup a frame the same size you should be able to swap the parts over. I snapped my carbon bike in half and have ridden on steel ever since. I managed to transfer most of the parts over. You could take your bike to CERES during one of their workshop sessions and rebuild it if they've got a frame a suitable size. I was looking at getting a trek 520 and only heard bad things about the design - seems the crack at the seat pole.
Nath@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
I rode a 1988 Shogun Katana as my daily until 2006. 18 years, and many thousands of kilometers - I honestly don't know how many as we didn't have Strava in the 20th century. I loved this bike. I love it more than I have loved any bike I've owned since.
But I honestly don't think I could go back to Steel. I could probably go back to alloy with carbon forks (My 2006 Avanti Vivace). That bike also lasted 10+ years until I got a crack in the frame.
The Avanti died at an inconvenient time (was moving house), and I had to buy another alloy bike on short notice/a tight budget. That was when I got my first Trek (a 1.2). I liked it, but it only lived for 18 months before I was hit by a car on it in 2019.
I got my current Trek second-hand with the insurance payout. I picked up the Madone second-hand, because I could never justify $6k for a bike. Joke's on me, right? If I spend another $1.5k on it now, I'll have paid nearly $6 for it anyway.
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Maybe look into getting a lightweight alloy guard piece fabricated ?
Nath@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
The bike has a stock (plastic) chain guard, but it's clearly not up to the task.
Llabyrinthine@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Has anyone else had the same issue with the same bike?
Nath@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Yes.
PeelerSheila@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Well that was an interesting night. Someone has come to the front door at around 1am and banged on it really forcefully, then banged on the window a few times (almost hard enough to break it according to my MIL). By the time she got out of bed, came in and woke Mr P (who vaulted out of bed; first 24hrs of wearing a nicotine patch too, poor bugger!) the culprit was long gone. He didn't really get back to sleep after that. It's happened a few times before, seems to be happening every 6 months or so. Last time it happened, a woman who lives at the end of the street had it happen to her and she answered the door and was assaulted. I've been down a rabbit hole of security cameras and doorbell cams since then. Some are really pricey (I know I know, what price safety? I'm just as broke as a joke right now!) Some need to be wired in, some need a subscription, some don't have great night vision.. aargh! If any of you have any recommendations I would sincerely appreciate. For now I'm off to work to do pizza bases. Lots of them!
dumblederp@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
They're kinda shitty, but a single reolink argus 3 w/solar panel, will connect to your wifi, has a free could backup, you can see it on your phone or pc at home or away from home. Being battery/wifi it catches things late, but it still gets most things. People walking past not so much, walking to the door it'll get em. Being solar and wifi, you just screw it in somewhere, don't need a tech to run power or ethernet cables.
PeelerSheila@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Thanks, I'll have a look at it. Sounds good if we don't have to do any wiring.
dumblederp@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
No real wiring, screw the unit mount in and the solar mount nearby in the sun, mount the unit, mount the solar, plug in the microsub solar charger.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
You can use a $60 wifi cam placed inside if theres a good window spot. Turn OFF night vision (the led will just glare off the glass) and use your security sensor light. Tp-link's tapo are all right
PeelerSheila@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
possums on the roof
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
I was kept awake by a mouse in the wall (well, I hope it was in the wall and not in the room with me scritch scritch scritch
Duenan@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
I heard some last night on my roof too/ I really hope they don't get into the roofspace again.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Breakfast 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋
Force_majeure122@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
A complete restart and bug-fix please
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
🔴🔌🔛🦅
Force_majeure122@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
ɹɐɟ os ƃuᴉʞɹoʍ ǝq oʇ sɯǝǝs ƃuᴉɥʇʎɹǝʌƎ
baconmash@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
dn ƃuᴉʞool llɐ s’ʇᴉ
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
I had to phone Optus, I'm going to need another bottle of the Merlot.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
🍾
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Can I have a tall glass of shut the fuck up
baconmash@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
🍾
useless_modern_god@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
……..
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
A roast leg of lamb with all the trimmings and accompaniments please, served with a glass of your finest Merlot. Oh, who am I kidding leave the bottle.
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
🍗🥕🥦🍠🥔🧅🍾🍷🔋
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Sara Lee Bailey's icecream is very nice. Very very nice.
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
She's just told me it's lunch and to wash my hands 😡
Workday deactivate. Let's see if that works.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
I think at this point you need an exorcism
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
turn it off and never on again
^but^ ^she^ ^still^ ^speaks^
melbaboutown@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 2y
Assert dominance. Tell her you’re the mum here and she can go wash her hands
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
After just getting over a bout of gastro, I’m with the robot - you can’t wash your hands enough!
baconmash@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 2y
Has she told you to take a walk?
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Yes. I'll be checking the others phones later.
fullkitwanker@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Ordered this poster for my new room: https://www.redbubble.com/i/poster/new-abnormal-2020-by-dianabator/127521733.E40HW excited!
CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
So you've shit yourself again bot?
RustyRaven@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2y
I'm not entirely ruling out cat involvement. She was suspiciously quiet last night and was alone unsupervised with the bot.
Duenan@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Just another step in her domination of the world.
anotherspringchicken@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y
Seems to be one of those days and it’s not even lunchtime yet. Not a great start to the morning, now ubering to work late and it’s $56. Better than the $80+ I paid one time, but still a lot for what is usually a ~$20 trip. Eek.
Like bot, I should have stayed in bed
Seagoon_@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Zoolander has to be the wackiest reworking of The Manchurian Candidate ever.
Now watching MIB 3
tone_212@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y