Ello logo.

Ello, how long will you be staying?

Have you heard about Ello? It’s all the rage right now. Ello started as a private social network consisting of seven artists and programmers. After a year, the creators redesigned the website and launched Ello to the public. It was created as an ad-free alternative to existing social networks. Its original manifesto (now gone), declared that we are …

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Hand holding a smartphone taking a picture of a bridge for social media.

The blog as the hub of the social media spokes

When people ask me what’s the hardest part about having a blog, I say it’s choosing a theme. After that, it’s making the time to actually sit down and write. I haven’t been blogging much lately. It’s not because I don’t have anything to say. I have plenty to say. There’s more going on my brain than …

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Woman outside with raised arms. Ground, center, shield, cleanse.

Ground, center, shield, and cleanse

We often put on special gear to protect us when we engage in certain activities. Aprons, overalls, gloves, hard hats, and goggles help protect our clothes and our bodies. When we’re done, we take it all off and clean up. We also need to gear up and clean up when we work magick. When we …

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Sign for Open House Melbourne.

Open House Melbourne 2014

Open House Melbourne is a celebration of Melbourne through design and architecture. It’s an annual free event in which over 100 buildings are open to the public. Some of these such as the State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Town Hall are open to the public year round, but they may open special areas that …

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Blackboard that says, "Do you speak English? next to the British flag. Australian English.

My Australian English

How’s my Australian English shaping up? I can’t shorten words and phrases the way Aussies do. I still say sunglasses, breakfast, and chicken instead of sunnies, brekkie, and chook. Speaking in abbreviations feels forced and unnatural for me, like text speak. I can’t do that either. I text mostly in complete, properly punctuated sentences. It’s not because I’m a …

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Melbourne General Cemetery

The Melbourne General Cemetery

Last week I popped into the Melbourne General Cemetery. It was a nice day and my partner was meeting with a client in nearby Carlton so I thought I’d take the opportunity to visit it. Cemeteries have a sombre beauty to them and are always interesting to explore. The Melbourne General Cemetery was established in 1852 and …

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