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  RE: https://sfba.social/@andybrwn/117570754014163473 What could go wrong?

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  Good to see the new contactless fare payment system works fine with concession fares. I used Apple Pay via my Apple Watch to touch on for this trip from Melbourne to Bendigo, and it correctly registered free travel because I have a Seniors Card concession and it was a weekend. (There were actually two buses caught within Bendigo, about six hours apart - for some reason it summarised them together.) #transport #Melbourne #Bendigo cc @danielbowen

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  RE: https://uff.rip/@farben/117542879764863920 What blue now?

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  RE: https://uff.rip/@farben/117541936091117404 OK that is definitely blue

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  Finally finished this book by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk. Lovely writing, basically a meandering journey through his youth in an Istanbul scattered with the crumbling remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Very moody, though difficult to read in long sittings; you have to absorb each chapter at leisure. #Istanbul #Turkey #book #books

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  Interesting that almost all the dodgy scamming messages I receive come via the bridge from Bluesky. #BlueSky

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  Awww sad. 🎻 "Of the $US1 billion spent by the Republican campaign apparatus since September 1 of this year, just $US11 million of that had gone towards ads promoting the candidate’s relationship with Donald Trump. "Candidates themselves are telling us exactly what they think their voters want to hear. The president’s unpopularity is changing the Republican Party." #USpol https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/the-republicans-are-erasing-trump-the-president-is-n...

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  A reminder that search engines other than Google exist. I've set up DuckDuckGo as default on all my devices (iOS phone & iPad, and Windows laptop), and turned off all its AI elements. Working well so far. Death to AI summaries, stealing people's work and dumbing us all down! #ai

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  Foggy day here in the city. And cooler than expected. Wasn't it supposed to be hot today? #Melbourne #weather

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  Just finished the first draft of my article about the recent rail tour I took to the Wimmera. Should be 1000 words, first draft is 1250 words. I've had worse. #AmWriting #TravelWriting

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  The Australian government needs to read this too. --- Americans, this is your chance to slap down the tech broligarchs - Rebecca Solnit https://www.theguardian.com/global/2026/oct/19/midterm-elections-tech-broligarchs #AI #tech

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  Now free for all to read... After arriving in Auckland by train on my latest visit, I joined a food walking tour of delicious Ponsonby: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards/posts/dateline-eat-155220174 #auckland #food #tour

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  Today is the publication day of my new book from Hardie Grant, Train Europe, so I dropped by Readings Emporium to see if it's in stock yet. It is! Nicely placed facing outward on the shelves too; I approve. Please pop by your favourite bookshop and pick up a copy. Perfect Christmas present IMO. :) #train #trains #Europe #book #books #train #trains #Europe #book #books @bookstodon

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  Good to see us helping the Ukrainians more. Putin must not be allowed to win. "Australia has inked a historic pact with Ukraine that commits Canberra to sustained defence and security cooperation with Kyiv while stopping short of a NATO-style guarantee to come to each other’s defence. "Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday (US time), with the governmen...

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  Couldn't imagine travelling with a grandma, but I could imagine travelling *like* a grandma. Already doing some of that - I don't go out much at night anymore when I'm travelling. #travel https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/grandma-maxxing-is-travel-s-big-trend-thanks-to-my-gran-i-m-an-expert-at-it-20260916-p60xvu.html

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  I don’t understand what the Israel government's apologists in the West think they're gaining via this relentless campaign of censorship against anyone who even mildly expresses sympathy with Palestinians. The backlash against this overt manipulation will eventually undermine Israel's future, IMO. #Israel #Palestine

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  I just bought staggeringly expensive business class flights to reach my next big Interrail trip across Europe next year. I'll be travelling south this time, from Helsinki to Sarajevo, ending in Belgrade. So naturally the first set of flights is listed in the airline's app as: MEL → HEL From Mel to Hell! I like it. Though I suspect Helsinki is much cooler than Hell. #travel #TravelWriter #TravelWriting

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  RE: https://mastodon.social/@IndyMediaAus/117270810202965930 Well put. Sad to see the decline of a once inspirational nation. "The US used to be a role model. It stood for democracy, economic opportunity, and other values that appeal to many countries. Now, it is a model of what not to do – a cautionary tale of extreme inequality, democratic erosion, corruption, and social division. The rest of the world should develop a new appreciation for the value of cooperation and the rule of law, b...

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  You are all invited to the launch of my new book Train Europe, a colourful collection of 20 great rail itineraries across the continent. It's at 6pm on Thursday 1 October 2026 at Readings Emporium, on Level 1 of Emporium Melbourne, 287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD. It's free to attend, but please register via this link: https://www.readings.com.au/events/train-europe-by-tim-richards Readings requires at least 20 people to register for the event to proceed, so please sign up and come alo...

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  Interesting read. There are lots of stretches of Melbourne's tram network which could be sensibly extended to make it even more useful. #Melbourne #tram #trams https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-1923-map-to-extend-melbourne-s-tram-network-could-still-prove-a-transport-solution-20260829-p60sp0.html

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  Something needs to be done about companies denying access to human customer service reps when something goes wrong. It's a practice which should be banned. https://www.smh.com.au/technology/queer-venues-locked-out-as-meta-suspensions-hit-melbourne-and-sydney-20260729-p60jia.html

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  RE: https://social.chinwag.org/@abc_bot/117005777898167797 [tuts at waived fine]

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  RE: https://ecoevo.social/@benlockwood/116964893643461218 I think this is called "threatening us with a good time". #USpol

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  @girlonthenet@mastodon.social @kate@aus.social Totally agree. Down with the tyranny of algorithms!

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  @sister_ratched@toot.community No idea. Has to be a May the Fourth thing, right?

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  @TimWardCam@c.im @FloatingOnion@cyberplace.social @BenartyComputer@mastodon.scot I guess it's a bit of both, they reinforce each other. You vote partly because you're required to, and at the save time you get used to voting. It becomes a social ritual.

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  @TimWardCam@c.im @FloatingOnion@cyberplace.social @BenartyComputer@mastodon.scot It's a $20 fine. It does work, turnout on election day is over 90%. I guess most ppl think it's worth hanging onto that twenty bucks by turning up.

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  Interesting read by the people behind @TheWarOnCars - I just borrowed it from the library. Lots of good for thought re tackling the automotive scourge. #TheWarOnCars

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  What an idiot. And these people are representing us? https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/nationals-resign-live-updates-coalition-in-crisis-as-national-mps-quit-frontbench-en-masse-after-littleproud-s-bombshell-letter-to-sussan-ley-20260121-p5nvzb.html #auspol

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  At the risk of sounding old, I know what she means. I wonder sometimes why people travel, if they spend so much time on their phones while doing so. And only sourcing travel advice from social media means everyone goes to the same places. "A well-travelled friend just returned from Paris, and instead of getting a boost from his trip, he came back feeling dispirited. Not one to complain, and ever grateful for the ability to travel, he nevertheless was discouraged by the behaviour of oth...