Andrew Jennings

ebike touring, writing Born at 312ppm, Melbourne (Naarm) Australia [background picture is Flinders blowhole on a calm day]

substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/andrewjennings
Medium: https://medium.com/@andyjennings

Public Key

npub1a8pl3rwhqgqsz6888aa0cs5c32dkn5yv77s78zattqss24ksc2esp6rk3r

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqswnslc3htsyqgpdrnn77hug2vg4xmf6zx00g0r3w44sgg92mgv9vcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsezp2af

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1a8pl3rwhqgqsz6888aa0cs5c32dkn5yv77s78zattqss24ksc2esp6rk3r

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-08-10 22:43:40 GMT

why are Victorian roads failing? Perhaps because we don’t charge large SUVs enough to cover the road damage they cause. It is at the fourth power of vehicle weight. So a vehicle double the weight causes 16 times the damage. The system is designed to fail [update: Victoria does not use a vehicle-weight sliding scale for standard passenger cars and SUVs. Standard light passenger vehicles (under 4.5 tonnes) pay a flat registration fee based on geographic risk zones rather than weight. Other states do charge on weight ] https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/ingenium/drivers-of-suvs-and-pick-ups-should-pay-more-to-be-on-our-roads #auspol #victoria

2026-08-03 23:22:49 GMT

#gardening in Australia we are coming up to a time of huge heat and water shortages. I am continually amazed how little water drip irrigation uses, and how efficiently it delivers the water to where it is needed.

2026-08-01 00:24:28 GMT

the latest security stunts from Anthropic and OpenAI serve just one purpose. To push the narrative that this is "critical infrastructure" that requires a government bailout when both their companies fail financially. The current administration will not only fall for it, they will embrace it. #AI #business

2026-07-11 00:56:48 GMT

I’m a big fan of the debunking of blue zones. #aging Want to live longer? Go for a walk https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-11/battle-for-the-blue-zones-longevity-science-newman-buettner/106846524?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2026-07-09 22:35:02 GMT

so far as I can find Starlink has had a 30 minute outage for its whole time in Oz. Yes, evil, but yes, works #auspol

2026-07-09 05:17:16 GMT

#AI 😀 https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/a-team-of-engineers-called-slopfix-charges-10000-a-week-to-delete-ai-generated-code-using-ai-agents

2026-07-09 04:09:14 GMT

@npub1tve…vfd0 https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/economies-thrive-with-older-smaller-population-new-study-finds #economics

2026-07-09 00:14:55 GMT

- reply

technology of survivable network synchronisation well known. But I suspect Telstra now has zero expertise. Charge them the economy cost of the outage and they will get it quickly

2026-06-25 00:33:14 GMT

Cory Doctorow nailing it again.
"I collect definitions of “conservatism,” and one of my favorites comes from Corey Robin’s book, The Reactionary Mind. Robins asks how it is that we can call so many disparate, irreconcilable ideologies — various ethno-nationalisms, imperialism, financialism, patriarchy, Christian nationalism, libertarianism, white supremacy, etc — “conservative”? What binds all these views together?
https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/22/all-day-suckers/#i-love-the-poorly-educated
Robin’s answer: the foundation that all these otherwise disparate views share is that some people are born to rule, while others are born to be ruled over. When these lesser people are elevated to positions of power, their inferiority creates a system of misrule, by which we all suffer. The best outcome for everyone is for us all to know our place and defer to our social betters."
#auspol

2026-06-24 22:08:20 GMT

(ON opinion poll surge) of course it could just be that in 2026 only complete nut jobs and the demented engage with pollsters #auspol

2026-06-12 02:22:42 GMT

@npub1tve…vfd0 in which an actual expert disassembles the notion that drones transform warfare https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-now-longer-than-the-first-world-war-the-similarities-are-unsettling-284864?utm_medium=article_clipboard_share&utm_source=theconversation.com

2026-06-11 00:51:01 GMT

I was doing my library volunteer thing and a woman came in to the desk holding a book. “I left the book out in the rain and ruined it, so I bought this new copy”. You won’t see a story about it anywhere, but people are good

2026-06-09 23:16:06 GMT

yikes https://electrek.co/2026/06/08/donut-lab-solid-state-battery-exposed-lithium-ion-fraud/ #energy

2026-06-05 08:03:26 GMT

to form government, One Nation has to make up ground in city electorates (RedBridge) #auspol
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/696/455/791/174/854/original/e5c2518ba7965a49.png

2026-06-03 00:41:42 GMT

how does this go? If I was DeepSeek I would wait until the point of financial vulnerability. After OpenAI and Anthropic float, at the point where they are hitting cash flow issues. Then you release a very similar product at 1/100 the price. #AI #business

2026-05-15 22:02:36 GMT

If this work is continued for 20 or 30 years it can most likely detect and destroy those expensive AUKUS submarines. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-16/undersea-monitoring-device-indonesia-china-maritime-strategy/106670896?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link #auspol #aukus

2026-05-08 23:54:13 GMT

Laura excellent as always. I did not know about Saudi Arabia refusing to participate #auspol
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-09/iran-us-israel-russia-ukraine-war-military-parade-ceasefires/106657116?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2026-05-07 21:48:29 GMT

Excellent #ebike https://bicyclenetwork.com.au/newsroom/2026/05/04/merri-bek-offering-e-bike-subsidies/

2026-04-22 05:24:36 GMT

- reply

i am not sure if it is still going on, but ships were going dark, turning the transponder off and sneaking through: https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1sdwdc0/citrinis_huge_balled_analyst_undercover_trip/ - very risky but the rewards are large

2026-04-04 07:19:12 GMT

I stayed at this caravan park. It’s not on the grey nomad migration routes so it relies on big weekend events like Easter. So sad to see it struggling, but a lot of the places I really like are the same. #travel https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-03/fuel-crisis-hits-small-towns-like-foster-ripple-effects/106469842?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2026-03-31 20:20:38 GMT

I was only 4 but this is reminiscent of the Suez crisis
“The 1956 Suez Crisis was a pivotal Cold War conflict sparked when Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the British-French-owned Suez Canal, prompting a secret tripartite invasion by Israel, Britain, and France. Intense diplomatic and economic pressure from the USA and USSR forced a withdrawal, marking the end of Britain as a top-tier superpower and accelerating decolonization.” (Wikipedia). We are witnessing the complete humiliation of the US. Any sensible country would have changed leadership by this point. #iranwar #auspol

2026-03-27 04:20:15 GMT

- reply

the scene where Eva sings is just so incredibly powerful, on multiple levels

2026-03-16 06:30:53 GMT

when i am riding the bike and cars cut me off and fail to give way on a roundabout I have taken to shouting "more of a guideline than a rule" and they just do not know how to process this #cycling

2026-03-11 22:53:16 GMT

- reply

these dudes are the Kodak of coding. Will vanish. Have a look at the share price

2026-03-06 07:26:46 GMT

I have been thinking all day about the Americans attacking and sinking a ship that was unarmed as it was attending a diplomatic ceremonial event. These are barbarians, and the sooner we sever ties the better. #auspol

2026-02-16 00:27:04 GMT

Greetings AI boosters. Was considering how many jobs at my gym could be replaced by AI. Again I come up with a zero. #AI

2026-02-05 06:57:43 GMT

great article about Jim Courier in The Age. Yes, he is really good. It's so true that "effortless is a myth". Top level performance at anything takes incredible dedication and lots and lots of boring work. No exceptions. #tennis #philosophy

2025-12-26 22:35:43 GMT

shout out to the developers of the shingles vaccine. Instead of getting incredible pain I got two small sores that are slowly healing and some minor discomfort. (If you are over 65 it is free)

2025-12-12 21:16:32 GMT

- reply

very upsetting article. Architect Anita Wells MP. Nobody seems to have made the connection

2025-12-11 07:13:39 GMT

Yes, I agree this is how it will end.
https://stevenboykeysidley.substack.com
"It is China who will pop this bubble by dumping free AI on the US market. OpenAI and the rest will not be able to compete commercially with higher priced offerings of what is essentially the same AI service. They will not live up to their hyperbolic promises. And tariffs can do nothing about that because it doesn’t come through ports; it arrives over the Internet in bits."
#AI #business

2025-11-27 07:26:30 GMT

put the netting over the strawberries. Lesson from last year was that you don't wait to fence off the predators. #gardening

2025-10-15 22:42:33 GMT

my GP chopped out some suspicious looking skin things. Your periodic reminder that the survival rate for in-situ melanoma is close to 100%. Get a skilled human to do a check, don't rely on your own judgement or an app. #cancer

2025-10-02 00:37:37 GMT

what a wonderful person Jane Goodall was. I advise young researchers and she is very much a model to follow. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-02/primatologist-jane-goodall-obituary/102197696 #research

2025-09-19 06:28:53 GMT

I help maintain a large garden. What I find intensely annoying is that ABC's "Gardening Australia" is completely foreign to the work I have to do. It has become so irritating I can only last about five minutes usually. #gardening

2025-09-01 02:55:59 GMT

Murray river, Cobram #silentsunday
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/115/126/786/850/942/343/original/dd320e787567eb75.jpeg

2025-08-07 21:06:40 GMT

I have these arguments with DeepSeek where I put it that Trump will starve more people than Pol Pot. It accuses me of gratuitous exaggeration. I think he will. #auspol

2025-07-23 04:38:53 GMT

the problem with establishing alliances on the basis of "shared values" is that it ignores the much more solid "shared interests". We may feel more comfortable with US culture, but in reality we don't have many shared interests with the US. There is little trade between the two countries.
We should base alliances on the much more solid foundation of shared interests. China and Australia both have a very strong interest in keeping shipping lanes open in the west pacific,. We both want a world with fair trade, free from tariffs. These are more substantial than a shared interest in Hollywood movies or a nostalgia for a US that is long gone #auspol

2025-07-21 20:40:38 GMT

Can you destroy our beach to save your home by building on crown land? Absolutely not. This dude will be required to remove the wall and pay compensation. Under the legislation he can be required to pay $12k per day that the works continue. That is $1.5m to date. #frankston https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-22/frankston-seawall-tides-costal-erosion-housing-australia/105555380?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2025-07-01 23:34:25 GMT

Lots of people told me that AOC cannot possibly win the US presidency. But I think she can, and I am not alone. https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-aoc-run-president-2028-110807645.html #auspol

2025-06-23 04:47:46 GMT

Henry Farrell
"In a world where the U.S. does not value commitment, few others will truly bargain with it, although they may go through the motions of pretending to. What is the point of making deals with a country that may renege unexpectedly on the president’s momentary whim" #auspol
https://open.substack.com/pub/programmablemutter/p/flexibility-slag-heaps-and-bombs?r=2wzki&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

2025-05-25 07:47:06 GMT

If you are wondering how this ends, when a country completely loses it's moral compass.
Population outflow from Israel is very strong, and (AP news) significant amongst young professionals 20-39.
Capital outflows: since October 7, 2023, capital flight from Israel has surged by 62%
Drop in Foreign Investment: In the first quarter of 2024, foreign investments in Israel's tech sector dropped by 55%, reflecting a significant withdrawal by foreign investors.
#gaza

2025-05-15 23:54:57 GMT

- reply

a “progressive centrist” government? Most describe it as an orthodox centrist-right government. In what way is it progressive? #auspol

2025-05-09 23:41:47 GMT

this is a bit weird, this story. When you join a virtual power plant, the whole idea is that the utility sucks power out of the battery at peak times. Clearly he didn't understand what he was getting into. #renewableenergy https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-09/claims-agl-drained-household-batteries-spark-trust-warning/105234050

2025-05-06 21:43:24 GMT

when I see the headline “ hedge fund guru predicts” this translates to: the dude has just taken a huge position and he is trying to push things in that direction #finance

2025-05-05 08:35:29 GMT

- reply

it's my fault. I got a rain gauge for xmas. 25mm this year so far.

2025-05-02 22:57:31 GMT

had a talk to a codger that lives in a retirement village yesterday. You are allowed to bring a pet into the village but not replace it when it dies. He told me of one lady who apparently has the same cat since she moved in, but "it keeps changing colour". Gold. #australia

2025-04-18 21:21:59 GMT

“most analysts are simply perplexed about why anyone would think it could work without global cooperation” - you have to recall exactly how protection rackets work. When you say to the nice mafia man “oh I don’t think we need protection” - what happens next? #auspol https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-19/united-states-china-tariff-trade-war-federal-election-future/105189008?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2025-03-13 22:32:20 GMT

American things nobody will buy: weapons, planes, Tesla, starlink, …. It’s a growing list. #auspol

2025-03-13 20:01:29 GMT

It’s a positive that Australians adapt quickly to world changes. AUKUS already effectively dead. If we can rid ourselves of any trace of the US military then, at least for the moment, we can continue to live in a peaceful region. #auspol #aukus

2025-03-10 23:06:59 GMT

Australian located alternatives to GitHub ?

2025-03-06 00:15:01 GMT

all the talk in Melbourne is of home invasions. This is my constant companion at home. She is a retired show and breeding dog. Looks mild mannered here but in the event of a human attacking I think you would need a shovel to dispose of the remains. Go Gracie. #melbourne
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/114/112/596/880/731/503/original/aadd6485d696171d.jpeg

2025-02-28 22:22:03 GMT

if you have a trip to Europe booked, cancel it now. Insurance policies specifically exclude Russian invasion. Just when you think it cannot get darker, it does. #auspol

2025-02-03 20:07:02 GMT

#auspol the rhetoric that we don’t have to choose between China and the US flies in the face of reality. “Someday soon we will have to choose”. I am really terrible at languages but I’m going to learn Mandarin. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-04/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-trade-war-australia-impact/104890302?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

2025-01-27 06:43:11 GMT

Car experts. Daughter's subaru gearbox is on the way out. Of course dealer quotes huge amount to fix it. Is a transmission repair place a good option? How to find a good one? (Melbourne, north)

2024-12-19 21:31:38 GMT

- reply

I studied our recycling. A lot of things that I thought were recycled are not: milk cartons? No loose paper? No Plastic Caps? No

2024-12-08 21:29:21 GMT

the retirement village business model is similar in approach to US health funds. Essentially predatory in nature. https://social.chinwag.org/@abc_bot/113618756871183841