I've been let loose in @paperbackbookshop.bsky.social again.

General Knowledge crossword clue in The Age today. "Who is the pessimistic farmer in John O'Brien's 1919 bush poem who constantly fears ruin?" That miserable prick Hanrahan was a longer answer than they required.

🦋 #BogongMoth — Agrotis infusa 🌌 Observed by Matt Campbell in Jeeralang Junction, Victoria, during the #GSB2024 this remarkable migrator travels to the Australian Alps each summer to escape the heat, now Endangered due to drought and climate change. 🌿 #GSB2025 #CitizenScience #Biodiversity

New additions.

You may know Skye Cusack as the mastermind behind Magabala's incredible social media channels, but today we are thrilled to announce that she is becoming a Magabala creator, as Magabala has acquired Skye's debut novel. Read the full announcement here: bit.ly/48bZ1GS

“It had turned into a nice spring morning: bright and warm on the sunny side of the street, but in the shade there was a head cold waiting for anyone who thought it was an early summer and went out hatless.” Leonard and Hungry Paul - Rónán Hession. I’ve waited far too long to read this gem.

Apologies for the image being a little shaky. This is one of a pair of Striated Pardalotes which are nesting in the water well of a hanging basket on the outside of our verandah.

Is anyone else having trouble with Bluesky loading? It’s barely functioning for me.

This year Radio National is running a poll asking people to vote for their top books of the 21st century. Let's get some Blak books on this list! Voting closes at 5pm on October 2, 2025. The countdown will be broadcast on Radio National over the weekend of October 18-19. Vote here: ab.co/3KxAXEh

New additions.

We’re nominating for awards this year, including Best of the Net! (For creative works we published between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025). @sundresspub.bsky.social Shout out to our amazing creatives and wishing you all the best! 🎉🌈

First post in what I hope will be an ongoing thread of songs heard in various places. I did try this once before but it failed for reasons that are no longer of interest. Alone With You by The Sunnyboys. Heard in my local Woolies yesterday. youtu.be/FRazvQ8Pai0?...

New additions from a visit to @paperbackbookshop.bsky.social yesterday.

If Mozza disowns The Smiths can we go back to listening to listening to them? On CD of course. Wouldn’t dare reward the corporate wankers who buy his share by streaming them. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...

“What’s really happening: This the novel cannot know.” Cristina Rivera Garza - Death Takes Me.

Loved this after the first listen.

Both happy and relieved to say that a long two year plus journey of recovery for my left eye is finally coming to an end. I had advanced keratoconus in that eye which left me with very thin cornea. In late July, 2023 a full thickness corneal transplant was performed on the eye.

Today we’re excited to share a new poem with you — 'A Week After I Tell You I’m Questioning My Gender' by Abby Bland. READ MORE: enbylife.net/2025/08/26/a...

Found in a charity bookshop this morning. The original paperback edition of Billy Bathgate by EL Doctorow. Those were the days. Simple cover, author photo on the back, not a blurb in sight.

"Occasionally the musical universe offers unexpected gifts that we might never have thought to ask for and had no right to expect." Andrew Stafford - The Guardian Bleak Squad - Adalita, Mick Turner, Mick Harvey and Marty Brown. Looking forward to getting my hands on this. youtu.be/C-dpQ6sISuU

Waiting rooms and daytime television. 🤬🤬🤬

Received yet another your email address was imported into Shitestack without bloody asking email last night. The fact that this one came from a publisher who I binned because of their unsatisfactory follow-up service after a $100+ package of books was lost in transit only added to my grumpiness.

I've loved The Triffids' Wide Open Road for almost 40 years now but until I travelled across the Nullarbor Plain on the Indian Pacific train I truly didn't appreciate the power and imagery of David McComb's lyrics. youtu.be/dGgct-rjBIc?...

Thinking about The Triffids iconic debut album, Treeless Plain, as the Indian Pacific enters the Nullarbor Plain. youtu.be/xIl-TU53tfg?...

One for the Jen Craig nuts here. The Museum of Fire in Panthers territory taken from the Indian Pacific train.

A kick-arse track with a timely Woking comment. youtu.be/muoddHKZthg?...

Leaving this here because WTF is Horses doing in the list? #hottest100 youtu.be/6dlHxiuSO9Y?...

Bad Art Mother was recommended to me by a friend sometime in late 2023. Can’t quite remember who recommended it on Bluesky some months back. I’ve finally read it and yes, it’s bloody good.

Brenda Fricker reading Voice by Majella Kelly. youtu.be/-uaOk62Y6mw?...

Josephine Rowe - Little World

💛🤍💜🖤 Happy International Non-Binary Day! 💛🤍💜🖤 Today we’re excited to publish a brand new poem — ‘Halloween’ by E Saint Paul @thewritere.bsky.social. Read more at enbylife.net/2025/07/14/h...

This looks tempting but doesn’t appear to be available in Oz.

There’s a bit of a sad clown look to this New-Holland Honeyeater.

Seems appropriate for today. youtu.be/XJe-xTeBvy8?...

Giving this a bump. Hopefully someone would like them.

Evening all. I have two tickets to the Casablanca/ The Maltese Falcon double bill at the Nova in Carlton on Tuesday night to give away if someone would like them. Message me if you do. Please don’t repost for the moment.

This week we’re proud to publish the 'Weathering Life' series by Sholanke Boluwatife Emmanuel. Check out the artworks at: enbylife.net/2025/07/07/w...

Evening all. I have two tickets to the Casablanca/ The Maltese Falcon double bill at the Nova in Carlton on Tuesday night to give away if someone would like them. Message me if you do. Please don’t repost for the moment.

Happy NAIDOC Week 2025! We've put together a reading list with books that align with this year's theme of "The Next Generation". These books are by and about our empowered young First Nations leaders and should be championed this week and every week. Reading list here: bit.ly/4le6mJv

A group of Galahs perched on a tv antenna brighten up a dull grey sky.

Winter would be marginally more bearable if the selfish slaves would sit still but they insist on getting up to make needless things like cups of tea.

Beautiful words from Bebe Oliver about the importance of Blak and Queer stories. #PrideMonth2025 is almost over, but you can support Queer First Nations creators any time of year 🏳️‍🌈

A Superb Lyrebird at Morwell National Park. They’ve been quiet on recent visits to the park so it was lovely to hear a number of them in full voice today.

Diddums.

No four seasons in one day tomorrow. Just one. Bloody freezing.

Minus two this morning with a clear sky and no wind so it wasn’t a surprise to see a vapour trail in the sky. Seeing one hanging under the waning moon, that was something else.

Daytime television blaring away in waiting rooms. 🤬

Australia Post gloriously exceeded their usual levels of incompetence today. I was expecting a delivery this morning but alas no. After arriving in my town, which is 2 hours east of Melbourne btw, at 5am my package amazingly bobbed up in Adelaide 5 hours later. Did they fucking teleport it there?

You did WHAT without asking? Unsubscribed and ignored in future.

A friend passed away this time last week. Her funeral was today. The music at the reception afterwards was her final playlist, the one that was playing when she passed away. It included an old favourite of mine. Fuck Cancer. youtu.be/In9yq3oNqCg?...