Welcome to the Melbourne Community Daily Discussion Thread.

  • bull⚡@aussie.zoneEnglish
    13·
    1 year ago

    I waited until 12 ticked over to post this… but have a look at this absolute beast of a backpack holding $84 of groceries like a champ. I’ve had this backpack for maybe 7 or 8 years now, taken it half way around the world twice & on countless domestic trips, and I’ve used it as my daily carrier/work bag and it’s as good as the day I bought it.

    Can fully recommend the Osprey Farpoint 40. Never felt more confident recommending something.

      • bull⚡@aussie.zoneEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        lol you made me curious so I checked the receipt… it’s actually 21 items! A 2 litre bottle of white vinegar. 750ml windex. Can of bug spray. 3 trays of meat. 2 jars of pasta sauce. 2 packs of Penne. 1kg bag of rice. Bag of potato gems. And more. Some decently sized items!

    • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
      31·
      1 year ago

      I have one of those (or a very similar model), it’s a great bag. I’ve never taken it grocery shopping, but it was great in Vietnam where it needed to be able to handle everything from walking and motorbike travel to air travel as both hand luggage and cargo. Also fully recommend.

  • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
    11·
    1 year ago

    A mystery parcel is on board for delivery today. I really wish you got the sender’s name not just a tracking number with these notifications so I knew what I was getting. I have two seperate parcels with live plants expected, it would be nice to know if it is one of those so I can prepare to plant them straight away. But it could also just be the batteries I ordered.

    • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
      2·
      1 year ago

      I got an aus post message the other day. They tried to deliver my “parcel” but was unsuccessful so could I possibly click the link and correct my address. Sure now gimme my parcel. I’m still waiting. I hope it’s good.

  • bananafungus@aussie.zone
    11·
    1 year ago

    Woke up to someone sending me a bunch of pictures of someone’s kids… Hopefully it’s not a phishing scam because I replied telling them they have the wrong number and that I had deleted the photos.

    But holy hell what a nightmare for the parents, and also worst nightmare for me having random pictures of some kids on my phone for 5 seconds (especially as a man).

  • landsharkkidd@aussie.zoneEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago

    I’m actually sick of Optus. I’m still pissed that like my data gets leaked but all I get is a :c soz bro. But they have cheap credit, which is $30 every 45 days, and I get a butt load of calls and text. So I guess if anyone has other recommendations for either similar price and offer or cheaper that’d be nice.

    Though I do refuse to go to Vodafone because they too screwed me over years ago and I can hold a grudge.

    • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
      5·
      1 year ago

      I’m with aldi which uses telestra. Apart from weird reception in the garage occasionally, probably because of the tin roof, I don’t have a problem. I also don’t download movies and shit on the go on my phone.

      I mainly use WiFi at home for streaming and talking to you lovely people. I hope that makes sense. It makes sense to me.

    • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
      5·
      1 year ago

      Been with Boost for over a year now. I get the yearly plan - about $200 something for a year and 160gb (not that I end up using most of it). Works out to about $20 per month and is on the Telstra network, which is great! Also 5g.

      • just_kitten@aussie.zone
        6·
        1 year ago

        +1 for Boost for me as well. I’m still on the monthly 7GB plan for $22 but because they do data rollover I’m often at 10GB a month. Next tier is $35 for 25 GB which also includes international calls. But I think I might follow you and @bull and go for a yearly plan from next year esp now that I know I’m here for good. 13.3GB at $20/mth including those international calls… Sounds better than what I’m on.

        I know you can get cheaper data elsewhere but the standout to me is the full Telstra reception, always great when out in the wop wops for fieldwork or travel. People have regularly had to borrow my phone when theirs can’t connect! And still excellent in the city though I haven’t extensively tested it indoors.

        • bull⚡@aussie.zoneEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          haha I just checked my usage for the last 6 months and I’ve only used 26.69GB… 11GB of which was Saturday night because I streamed Prime video and Foxtel for hours in a motel without Wi-Fi. I’m absolutely moving to the 170GB plan!

      • bull⚡@aussie.zoneEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        Another vote for Boost. I might switch to one of the yearly plans because I’m on Wi-Fi most of the time. I’m on monthly now. An important distinction (for those reading this who don’t know) between Boost and the other Telstra-backed carriers is that Boost is the only one which uses the actual full-fat Telstra network and not their wholesale network. More info here.

      • landsharkkidd@aussie.zoneEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Hmm, that’s not too bad. Optus is 5gb for 45 days which I don’t use up (only time I do is if I accidentally forget to turn on wifi while I’m watching YouTube or TikTok). But I might look into it, thank you!

    • Briongloid@aussie.zoneM
      5·
      1 year ago

      I would never go back to a major telco when all three sell their network wholesale for cheaper.

      Telstra owns Belong, Optus owns Amaysim & Vodafone has Felix. Each of the subsidiaries are cheaper despite being under the parent company. On top of those, there are tons of third-party sellers that are just as cheap and often cheaper.

      I personally use Woolworth’s Everyday Mobile for the Telstra Network + -10% at Woolworths checkout once per month.

      • just_kitten@aussie.zone
        4·
        1 year ago

        I often wonder what’s the point of the major telco plans when they have cheaper plans on their subsidiaries - exclusively serving the naïve and old? Physical store for customers to slam their fist down at?

    • bananafungus@aussie.zone
      3·
      1 year ago

      I’m with Woolworths on the Telstra network, 40 bucks and I get 65gb of data, unlimited standard calls and texts, and unlimited calls and texts to 22 other countries (happy to post the list if needed). You can also bank up 500gb of data, if you are slow at using it up.

      Editing because I just went had a browse, they have lower priced plans but all plans contain the unlimited calls and texts, and unlimited calls and texts to 22 other countries.

  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone
    9·
    1 year ago

    Ted Cat goes out into our courtyard every second day. He loves it so much. Sniffs all the bushes and fences then rolls around on the warm outdoor paving tiles enjoying his freedom.

      • Seagoon_@aussie.zone
        5·
        1 year ago

        he’s still funny lookin’ . 🤭 It will take 6 months to get his full persian length fur

        ( the more I get to know him the more my heart breaks for him. He’s very small for his breed. He’s always desperate for food. He’s not well socialised. He lost his fur thru neglect. He had never been out of a cage. 😔 He was in a cat mill. )

        • Catfish@aussie.zone
          5·
          1 year ago

          Poor bugger. My rescues have their issues we can only really guess about, but a mill is an extra awful.

  • bananafungus@aussie.zone
    9·
    1 year ago

    Went to the doctors for my usual thing and mentioned a random rash that popped up on my face that’s giving me grief, and now I’m on shingles watch… Fingers crossed the antihistamines I’ve been instructed to take for the next few days confirm its just weird allergy symptoms I’ve never had before.

  • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
    9·
    1 year ago

    We are heading into a cashless society they say. Do your banking online, it’s easy they say. Until shit hits the fan and you can’t access your funds. When the gov’ment says it’s save to vote online then I’ll consider it. Until then I’ll stick to using my card or cash thanks.

    • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
      10·
      1 year ago

      I love my virtual money and almost never use cash. But we definitely need to have more back up systems in place in case of IT failure - not just in banking, but in pretty much everything. Companies have been very quick to take the cost savings of moving to efficient computerised systems, but have neglected to put in place backup systems to provide resilient systems. At one stage when the EFTPOS system went down they could manually swipe your card through and it would be processed later, now there is nothing.

      A lot of companies are running extremely outdated software, and either can’t or won’t spend the money to upgrade it. Which leaves them prone to breakdowns, and security breaches, leading to not just data leaks but can bring their entire system down, if (like the Fire Services) a virus gets into the system. Or in the case of my now ex health insurance company they try to upgrade but don’t seem to have a plan to wind back to a stable system if it goes wrong.

      • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
        3·
        1 year ago

        Yep. I do something similar. All online purchases and bills, credit card. All real life purchases, cash. Credit card then gets paid at the post office using cash. Occasionally I have to use my debit card but limit that to big businesses only.

            • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
              3·
              1 year ago

              What I do like is when there is something popular and the people that send the generic message lose out over people who bothered to type something to move the sale along. So the answer is often “yes it is available” when they send that first generic message, but has often become “no, it’s sold” by the time they get to the second. Making “is this available” a completely pointless question.

                • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
                  1·
                  1 year ago

                  It does happen. And it does make sense to ask if it is an old listing, but when it has only just been listed it is a pointless question. It also doesn’t take much to put something more in. How hard is something like “if this is still available I will offer you $xx and could pick up on the weekend”? If it is not available, they will tell you (or ghost you, as per their preference!) and if it is you have moved things along towards a sale.

                  You will also find that some sellers just won’t reply to an “is this available” message because most of the time it is people just wasting your time. It’s not uncommon to have maybe 1 in 10 or less that make that query actually follow up if you answer - even when you answer straight away. When you add in no-shows and other dodgy characters there are a lot of Marketplace sellers that are one “is this available” post away from just throwing their stuff in the bin instead.

    • Catfish@aussie.zone
      3·
      1 year ago

      Love! I get this sort of stuff at work all the time. Ration tickets, how to vote cards, menus. Etc. Builds the history of a book fantastically.

    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone
      6·
      1 year ago

      For next time there are little wall repair kits from Bunnings which include special netting with a slightly sticky back. You trim it to size with a little overlap at the edges and stick it over the hole. It gives the layers of putty something to grab onto.

      Apply the putty in really thin layers with the spatula scraping it as smooth as possible, letting it fully dry and sanding it flush before the next one. Sand it really flat with sandpaper around a foam sanding block because doing it with sandpaper on your fingers can leave it uneven.

      For the paint it really helps to cut a 50c piece sized layer of paint from somewhere really hard to notice of the same colour (use a razorblade and kind of slice at an angle) and get it put through the paint matching machine at Bunnings.

      Use a roller not a brush because you don’t want visible brushmarks. Bunnings sell little disposable rollers and paint trays. Do really thin layers too with drying between, feathering the edges out with the last tiny (barely any) bit of paint left on the roller each time so it’s harder to see a sudden transition. Putty and paint the sneaky spot you nicked the chip from too.

      The paint colour you got mixed may differ slightly from the main spot due to different rates of fading (ie if the sample paint chip was taken from inside a wardrobe) but do your best, let it fully dry and rub a dusty rag over it at the end so it doesn’t look too new.

      Source: Renter

      • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
        3·
        1 year ago

        Thanks friend. I asked the Bunnings guy what to use and he recommended just the filler and not the kit so I went with that.

        From here, would the best option be to sand it, re putty it, re sand till flat, then paint entire door with roller or just the patch?

        • melbaboutown@aussie.zone
          2·
          1 year ago

          No worries. I just used the mesh because it was a larger hole and that really helped to have a stable base for applying thinner smoother layers.

          Personally if it was me? I’d just try and sand it as flat as possible, see if I could get it flat. You might need a rougher grade of sandpaper and a sanding block if it’s slow going. Then smooth it with finer. Then paint the spot in a few thin layers drying in between - if it’s still looking very obvious you might then choose to paint the whole door.

          I’m not a professional though. Just a renter that had to do this a couple of times

    • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
      6·
      1 year ago

      The Boost app is so horrified by this repair that it crashes every time this photo loads. Or maybe it is trying to protect me, as it reminds me of my ex-husband’s work.

      Like @[email protected] says, you need to sand it back and paint over it. It’s hard to fill a hole without something behind it - too late now, but put a piece of thin wood or similar inside the hole and then glue (you can use some string to pull it forward). That gives you a solid base to work on. I found the best technique for getting a smooth finish is to hold the spatula or scraper at close to a 90 degree angle and scrape off everything you can. If you hold the spatula more parallel it bends a little and won’t create as flat a finish.

      • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
        1·
        1 year ago

        The Boost app is so horrified by this repair that it crashes every time this photo loads. Or maybe it is trying to protect me, as it reminds me of my ex-husband’s work.

        🤣🤣

        What type of wood do I get and where from?

        • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
          2·
          1 year ago

          I spent way too long trying to get it to stay open, and found that after I have cleared the cache I can look at everything except the daily thread, and if I can quickly scroll down in the daily thread before it opens the photo it will stay open. So I’m 98% sure the photo is the issue, although I have no idea why. If I don’t clear the cache it just keeps crashing on open.

      • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
        2·
        1 year ago

        I did my best 😭😭 I am hopeless.

        Ok real talk, how do I fix this / make it better? the door is hollow so the putty just kept falling inside - so I started shoving some paper in there in hopes that I can fill enough for the putty to hold. And now the colour is a slight bit off as well - do I just go back to Bunnings and ask them for a new one or

        • useless_modern_god@aussie.zone
          4·
          1 year ago

          Well you need to sand that right back to smooth.

          Get like a 200mm wide taping knife or scraper

          Apply a finishing coat (top coat) enough so there’s no visible inclusions (little divots like you see in photos). Don’t be afraid if its much bigger than the hole cause it’s easier to sand.

          Sand that back and really feather it out so when you run your hand across ot you can’t tell where the repair stops and the door starts.

          Now you have to paint the entire front of door because it will never match anyway. Use a foam roller and probably a semi gloss or satin paint(I can’t really tell from photos but paint guy at Bunnings will know)

          or just wear the cost from the rental agency? Door repairs line this are easy to spot in an inspection so it’s gotta be good.👍

          • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
            1·
            1 year ago

            Apply a finishing coat (top coat) enough so there’s no visible inclusions (little divots like you see in photos). Don’t be afraid if its much bigger than the hole cause it’s easier to sand.

            mmm can do this one again.

            can i go to the bunnings dude and ask him to give me a colour that matches (and how do i get him to give me an exact match)? i don’t think painting the entire door is an option…

            • useless_modern_god@aussie.zone
              2·
              1 year ago

              You will need a sample piece size as big as a 20cent piece minimum for the colour spectrometer for a paint match

              Or ask the property manager (?) what the colour code is

              • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
                1·
                1 year ago

                Or ask the property manager (?) what the colour code is

                Yup, just texted him to check, might even drop by tomorrow and chat in person

                You will need a sample piece size as big as a 20cent piece minimum for the colour spectrometer for a paint match

                ahh no wonder bunnings guy wasn’t able to match. i might have taken a 2 mm piece with me LOL

          • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
            1·
            1 year ago

            remove as much of the putty as you can

            I was advised by many people to fill with putty 🤔 Why remove now and replace with foam?

    • Catfish@aussie.zone
      3·
      1 year ago

      Dude, that’s the definition of don’t trust utube. If you are inner west ping. I might be able to send Boyo without airtasker fees.

      • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
        2·
        1 year ago

        i just got a multi purpose filler and basically did as in the video except apply the patch ( didn’t get the patch ). is the patch super important? i might have to go and get the patch in that case. also need to colour match but how? i can’t chip another piece of the door and take it to bunnings (which is what i did the first time, chipped a small piece from the already broken area and took it)!

        • Thornburywitch@aussie.zoneEnglish
          5·
          1 year ago

          Small square of clean plastic flywire can serve as a patch if you have some handy as spakfilla etc bonds pretty well with it. I do recommend chipping out the putty and using a patch kit as per wscholermann’s advice. I also think that repainting the whole door surface is a good idea once sanded smooth.
          You’ll need to mask the narrow door edges with painter’s tape or masking tape so that the new paint doesn’t drip onto the edges and betray you. Aldi sometimes has cheap roller kits that are ideal for small jobs like this. It’s worth checking out your nearest one to see if there’s any left from the last time they were on special. Also check out any $2 shops near you - they sometimes have el cheapo throwaway rollers and sandpaper etc.
          A Bunnings paint sample tin or two should be enough paint to cover the door - each tin does about 1 sq metre with two rolled coats, so 1 tin should do one coat for the whole door I reckon.

          • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
            1·
            1 year ago

            I also think that repainting the whole door surface is a good idea once sanded smooth.

            This might be a problem since I’m renting this room in an apartment and I vacate next week. Would it look odd if I just painted that tiny portion? A couple people have suggested repainting the entire door - any particular reason why?

            • Thornburywitch@aussie.zoneEnglish
              4·
              1 year ago

              It’ll be almost impossible to match the colour - paint ages and changes colour over time. However, colour changes only matter when you get the two colours side by side like in photo. A small difference between the front & back of the door won’t be noticeable cos noone will see them side by side. But a splodge in the middle of the door will be very obvious. Basic ‘landlord’s white’ is probably the way to go. Rollering on the paint is quick and very easy if the door edges (and handle & hinges) are masked as per my comment. I would also put a flattened cardboard box or a shit tonne of newspaper down under the door before painting to catch any drips or smears. Acrylic paint is water soluble if you catch it before it dries, so clean up is fairly easy and once done the tape & cardboard and roller etc. can go in the rubbish. Smell will take about 2 days to dissipate. You can speed this up a bit by opening windows if possible, and if not possible by putting a chopped up lemon in a bowl in the room to help mask the smell of the paint.
              The really important bit is to get the patch perfectly smooth by sanding it flush. Wrapping a piece of sandpaper round a blocky object (even a couple of dishwashing sponges) will let you sand it flat and smooth. Someone with more sandpaper fu than I have can maybe recommend the size/number of the grit to use.

            • cherryripesalmoncake@aussie.zone
              3·
              1 year ago

              It’s unlikely (not worth trying) you’ll be able to match the paint well enough that it won’t be obvious. You’ll be able to get close enough matching the paint that the repainted side of the door won’t look out of place.

        • wscholermann@aussie.zone
          5·
          1 year ago

          The patch will make it a hell a of a lot easier. Otherwise you have to fill the hole, wait for it to dry, fill it some more and so on until you get it to a point where the hole is filled and stable, and you just sand it back.

          As for the colour of the spakfill, that’s neither here nor there. But certainly the colour of the paint matters. If you know the exact colour code you might get away with sanding back the spakfill till it’s smooth and level, then paint over that particular section. Once the paint dries it will look alright.

          On the other hand if you don’t have a paint that matches closely you’d really have to paint the whole door.

          • fullkitwanker@aussie.zone
            2·
            1 year ago

            Ok cheers mate, will head to Bunnings tomorrow and look for the patch thingy. Will also try and reach the REA and figure out the color code of the door since its probably standard in this building.

  • Briongloid@aussie.zoneM
    7·
    1 year ago

    Optus NBN appears to be just a DNS issue, people reporting their NBN working with third party DNS provider.

    I strongly recommend not using telco for DNS regardless.

    FYI for those that don’t know, Optus services down nationwide, effects 10 million customers as well as payment terminals, Metro trains are also partially down.