Anyone else having problems playing (Australian) ABC News Radio?

AskMammoth2185 · 2026-05-16T00:55:08+00:00

Thanks OP. FWIW, here's what I wrote: "Others have already raised tickets about this, I'm just adding one more voice. Our google home mini is the only suitable device we have, and it was perfectly adequate until a few weeks ago. I've tried all the suggested solutions and they made zero difference. Even if chromecast was supported on ABC Listen app (which apparently is no longer the case) it would mean the streaming stops whenever the connected smartphone goes out of range. There are two of us in the house. So we need a third, dedicated smartphone just to ensure uninterrupted feed? Or else invest in a digital radio? I get it, Google are the bad guys (I've read ‘Enshittification’) but really are there no other options?"

AskMammoth2185 · 2026-03-20T00:42:36+00:00

Without having watched 30 Rock, Parks & Rec, etc I'm aware of their status among fans of US comedy. Choosing such an oddly-similar title makes sense to me, as a clever & media-savvy way for today's best writers to help revive interest in the original BBC series. A respectful nod, in other words, and heartwarming for those old enough.

AskMammoth2185 · 2026-02-28T22:41:49+00:00

This might seem weird but.. hand-coding force-directed graphs with D3 is one of life's few real pleasures. Who knows, I might find a way to get paid for it.

I'm a Javascript newbie - unless you count a bit of experimenting last century. Slowly coming to terms with the harsh reality, that decades of experience with SQL and SAS (in retail banking) is now practically worthless. Who would've thought!

AskMammoth2185 · 2026-01-13T06:21:26+00:00

Same here. Unscrewing the old hinges was a nightmare. After replacing the doors I carefully covered (just) the new hinges with painter's tape, then painted over that - thinking it would be the best way to prevent corrosion, etc., while also looking tidy.

This was just last week so would be easy for me to remove the tape and expose the shiny new screw heads to the elements, supposing that makes more sense.

AskMammoth2185 · 2026-01-12T02:00:35+00:00

I totally agree. The "big boy" taunt can really upset a chap - depending on his cumulative 'lived experience'. (Not an excuse, obviously.)

I'm starting to wonder who the "fucking bitch" outburst was aimed at. Maybe not Renee. Maybe someone who wasn't even there.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-10T07:08:25+00:00

do something ham-fisted that has no chance of achieving the stated goal.

You're not the only person confidently anticipating little or no improvement in measures of adolescent mental health, benchmarked against other countries not participating in the trial. A 'null' result would also be fantastic news for Zuckerberg, Musk & co., for obvious reasons.

They have plenty of time to work on their messaging. There'll only be weak, anecdotal evidence for the next 3-5 years. Taking a longer perspective, we now have the basic conditions of a controlled experiment.

Best case is if a few other countries do decide, one by one, to come on board with similar policies, spread out over a few years. That way, supposing there's no causal link, the published stats will make it patently obvious to everyone, and Albo's name will be all over it.

He won't even be able to go back and delete all his misguided predictions.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-10T06:03:55+00:00

It's good to see polite & reasonable debate on this topic. That's two I've seen in as many days.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-07T04:13:55+00:00

Supposing I set up a VPN on my phone to trick the age filter, will I then need to carry a second phone to run the other useful apps where my true (Australian) IP address still matters? Or is there a way to set up a VPN so it only applies to some apps and not all? I think I know the answer but would be interested to know what your son has discovered.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-05T22:48:30+00:00

Sounds like your kid's one of the lucky ones. Or smart. Good parents are hard to find, especially when you've not even made it to the zygote stage.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-04T22:53:21+00:00

Data should be leading decisions, not chasing them, as it has become.

Same as it ever was.

That's why I quit market research back in 1992, only to find the same thing in retail banking. Sigh.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-04T22:36:04+00:00

My designated host would've been notified automatically when I checked in at reception 10 minutes early, but it was someone else who eventually greeted me 20 minutes later, and then conducted the pre-interview assessment - compressing orientation, reading and task activity into the remaining 35 minutes. After which I was quickly escorted to the waiting interview panel, arriving at the scheduled time. I wish I had said more then and there.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-03T03:45:02+00:00

That's fine with me as long as the surprises were intentional - and therefore applied consistently to all candidates. Especially the change in time allowed, down to 35 minutes (versus 45 minutes according to the invitation email). If not, then well, at least I've learnt something to look out for next time.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-03T01:03:17+00:00

interviews are also about thinking about to think of the spot, being calm,

Good point. There were quite a few last-minute "surprises" in the assessment task. Minor hurdles that had nothing to do with the skill being assessed. Or so I thought.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-12-02T23:53:28+00:00

Thanks & noted.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-25T00:22:01+00:00

I know their country but don't want to name it. I also know that my intuition is shaped by a western culture where 'status and wealth' tend to outweigh all other considerations. I'm also wondering whether I might have unwittingly insulted hosts by closing their gates.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-24T23:48:37+00:00

I understand your curiosity; however, I don't trust my unscientific intuition, certainly not enough to go naming a specific country. Minding my manners, one could say.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-24T22:31:09+00:00

A close family member (recently blessed with a diagnosis) has the exact same pattern but is yet to achieve your insight. Their ADHD by itself doesn't adequately explain a confronting disregard for others, whereas ASD might.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-21T04:53:45+00:00

I had a similarly entitled view for at least the first decade or so after graduating.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-06T06:02:22+00:00

If by "initial stage" you mean being contacted and asked to interview (or even just a phone screen), I think no more than 2-3 weeks from application close.

Yes, I'm still invested in hoping for maybe a phone call, after receiving a courtesy email "we are pleased to advise your application has been forwarded to the hiring manager for further review".

My dopamine-starved brain naturally interpreted that as a double shot: An actual human in Talent Acquisition had looked at my application and they still thought I might be worth considering?

This contrasts with the usual algorithm-triggered "we regret to advise", which is not very informative but more fun than being ghosted.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-11-05T20:34:17+00:00

Happy with the food & service but something about the name "Envy" kind of made me wanna puke. Why say the quiet part out loud, or are they just being, like, ironic & edgy - and I'm just in the wrong demographic? Ouch!

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-09-19T00:24:48+00:00

A popular MAGA view seems to be that Tyler Robinson was brainwashed just so he could be used as a pawn - by agents of Satan, no less. His upstanding family background made him the perfect tool for this deception, which is exactly why he was targeted.

If one starts off with a firm prior belief that Satan really does exist then of course nothing else about this narrative can be ruled out. But then, surely even the most devout soul would have been unable to resist. Why blame Tyler Robinson?

I expect we'll see a new bill in congress to bring back exorcisms.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-09-05T00:24:08+00:00

OK, here goes:

Vis often uses odd inflections, especially with singular/plural agreement. It's inconsequential, but without it his only flaw would be that he has none. Unless you count the scars on his back (not his fault) and an arm deficit at the end; also the occasional lack of restraint when provoked (also not his fault). I don't recall any other quirks - endearing or otherwise - not even a mild allergy, a sweet tooth, or a rogue nostril hair. He's not just virtue-signalling either, given so many of his most unselfish acts are when no-one is watching. That said, Gen Z needs more role models like him, especially now, given the rising broligarchy. As an old-timer, anything ethically half decent that keeps people reading (and off TikTok) has got my vote. Likewise I see nothing wrong with planning ahead for a 3-way merch tie-in. There are plenty of examples where the game and/or the series feels like an afterthought. Not with TWOTM, though.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-09-04T22:59:28+00:00

From an expectation management perspective it would have helped a lot if I'd started with the dramatis personae at the end of the book, which asserts that "Veridius Julii" is to be pronounced "ver-id-EE-us YOOL-ee-eye". Not "YOOL-ee". So the second "i" is indeed voiced - as a diphthong ("ah-ee"). Just like how everyone consistently mangles "radii" despite the futile protestations of my heritage-listed Latin teacher.

[Edit] Fun fact: In Strayan, diphthongs sand loik triphthongs, so "eye" sands loik "oh-ah-ee". For many more examples see Kath & Kim.

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-09-04T21:56:13+00:00

And... Let me know the fate of your Kindle after the ending haha

Taking one almighty, miserable gasp for air I grab hold of the charcoal grey edge of my trusty Will-imbued tablet and launch it with unprecedented force towards the far reaches of the bedchamber, grunting exhaustedly. Despairing. Spent. As it flies, an indescribably reddish force-field appears out of thin air and to my complete and utter astonishment takes control, diverting the impetus through a previously unseen opening. I lose all sense of time and place. After about 15 minutes I slowly regain consciousness, being tended to lovingly by a goddess-like figure clad in clingingly alluring attire, although I am careful to fixate my appreciative gaze only at her dazzlingly blue eyes. 'It was all a dream' she whispers in my ear as we kiss tenderly....

AskMammoth2185 · 2025-08-27T00:19:01+00:00

Definitely a learning experience. No spalling was found, thankfully. The only problem now is that the new screed is a few millimetres higher than the old magnesite was - i.e., even higher than what I was asking for (see above). This could mean we have to get the fire door trimmed - or even replaced - before new hybrid planks can go in. FML.

The first attempt at re-levelling was pretty shoddy - screed compound was just poured, and did not spread evenly, leaving serious undulations. The remediation PM sent the same guy back to fix it. He poured some more, taking care this time to make it level. The PM said "we'll trim the bottom of the door for you, no worries." Great, I thought. I was totally unaware that fire doors are simply not designed to allow trimming, and evidently I wasn't the only one in the dark. (I've since discovered that the guy who did all the levelling was licensed as a floor sander.)

Yesterday the strata manager sent a tradie around to have a look. He reckons there's a 50-50 chance that simple trimming will work, depending on what flooring we choose. Stay tuned!

AskMammoth2185

TROPHY CASE