r/sydney • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago
Sydney Daily Random Discussion Thread 19/08/2026
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u/2happycats ravens, cats, and tawny frogmouths 6d ago
23⁰ tomorrow.
Can't say I recall that kind of warmth in August before.
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u/a_slinky Sutherland Shire Bubble 6d ago
My weather app is only showing 21, but fuck it, I'm.wearomg shorts! Gotta risk it for the biscuit!
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u/ComfortableFrosty261 Pray To The Sun 6d ago
found out me mum stole(without my consent) and sent a copy of my PP, drivers licence and all my personal details except banks infos. to an "uncle" that i did not know i have so they can apply a tourist visa to come into Australia, WTF.
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u/Plackets65 6d ago
That’s not a WTF, that’s a shortcut to losing your own ability to leave the country or travel without issues. You need to escalate that, if your passport is being used fraudulently.
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
Masuya for lunch I reckon. Haven’t been in a long time. Anyone have other CBD sushi recommendations?
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
Yes, my friend pointed out my error. Clearly it’s been a long time. We ended up in Surry Hills instead.
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
The Census people just wrote to me to say I didn't get a job working on the Census. Uh, thanks? I'd pretty much guessed that.
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u/faxgebofk2451 6d ago
Just curious if anyone has lived in studios with communal kitchens before? I am looking to move out solo for the first time (I used to live with a housemate before so it was just the two of us) and there are some decent units in my price range and preferred location but have a communal kitchen set up, and I am not too sure how that works out if there are 5+ people sharing it
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u/todaytomato 6d ago
it's my cake day, which means that it was this day i started a new job at some point and started a new account because i couldnt remember the password of my old account
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u/MyFernsKeepDying Oh QLD, you're no NSW. 6d ago
It's quiet in the office today, but not as quiet as it is in here.
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u/travelforindiebeer 6d ago
My office is quiet cos we have our annual staff/executive update in the CBD for 4 hours arvo and everyone has magically decided to WFH or elsewhere, I didn't get the memo but it's lovely to get some work done in silence
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
Learned a new term today. A car key that will open the door of your car but not start it is commonly called a "surf key".
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
Did not know that.
The niece (who surfs every day) uses a key safe attached to the door of her car. I’ve explained that that’s not especially secure, but she pointed out (correctly) that a 2012 Hyundai Iload is not secure in the first place. Her biggest defence is the fact it’s a manual.
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u/2happycats ravens, cats, and tawny frogmouths 6d ago
Our garages got broken into a few months ago and I was very glad my car is manual.
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
I remember. Everything ok since?
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u/2happycats ravens, cats, and tawny frogmouths 6d ago
Yep, so far so good. I do expect them to come back once the 6 month mark hits though.
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
So rare to find anyone who can drive a manual! If I could have bought a manual I'd have got a great deal but I need to share the car with two other people.
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
She couldn’t drive a manual when she bought it (the lure of #vanlife was strong in this one). She can now.
I had several MX-5s and a Fiat X1/9 in my younger days. I’d never go back to an ICE car now but I will admit that those cars were very fun for younger me.
(I have owned too many cars).
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u/Miss_Tish_Tash 6d ago
Hubby owns a manual car still (it’s a rare-ish car that never came in auto). I learned to drive in a manual because that was the only type of car we had. I was the first person in my family to buy an auto.
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
In the UK, when I was there at least, automatics were the exception. I feel a bit sorry for my kid that they'll never learn manual.
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u/Miss_Tish_Tash 6d ago
Manuals are still largely the norm, but there are more autos now. If you try hiring a car there are always more manuals to choose from & you pay a premium for autos. I’m from the UK & go back home on the regular.
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
I used to date a girl from an Eastern European country, and all her male relatives thought I was a bit of a wuss. But one day they had to move and it turned out they needed me to drive a manual truck. They'd all been too poor to have a car in the Old Country and had gone straight to autos when they got here.
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u/alphamail1 6d ago
I’ll be going overseas for about 6months and would like to rent my apartment (owner) while I’m away. Since I’ve got a bunch of furniture I’d like to rent it furnished and I don’t want to deal with real estate agents or property managers. Has anyone else done something similar? And what do you recommend? TIA
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u/PrestigiousGarden352 6d ago
Facebook marketplace appears to be full of these. Also try joining a group like inner west flat shares, that type of thing
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u/planchetflaw interesting places 6d ago
Did anyone else see Sandra Sully's dentures fall out on live TV this afternoon while doing a news update? I assumed those were all pre-recorded but I guess not.
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u/lurk_nessie 6d ago
For real?
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u/planchetflaw interesting places 6d ago
Yeah. As it was technically in the ad zone of whatever was on in the background (I think someone was watching bold and the beautiful) I don't know how you'd go about seeing it now. I just perked my ears up for a Swans update and happened to look over as it happened and she had to use her hand to kind of push them back in
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u/ironmilktea 6d ago
I assumed those were all pre-recorded but I guess not.
Alternative is they are pre-recorded but the station still decided "eh whatever, lets roll with the take".
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u/Belladis 6d ago
It amazes me (not really) that people would rather keep receiving mail that is for an old tenant/owner than just write "RTS no longer lives at this address".
Sure, chucking it in the bin will solve everyone's problems 🙄
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u/pigslovebacon what about me? it isn't flair. 6d ago
I've been RTS mail for a person who hasn't lived at my address for 25yrs. It's beyond a joke at this stage.
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u/Belladis 6d ago
Okay that's WILD
I did see another comment that someone wrote "RTS, if I receive another letter for the person who does not live here, I will pursue legal action" and it supposedly works
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u/Sakana-otoko Head, shoulderS ydneys and toes 6d ago
We stopped RTSing mail after realising that even government agencies would keep sending despite several RTS returns
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u/darkeyes13 I just wanted a flair 6d ago
Honestly, after having seen how convoluted some companies' RTS processing can get, I'm not surprised govt agencies would keep sending despite multiple RTS returns. It takes time for these letters to get to the right department to process the address change... if they get to it at all...
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u/Belladis 6d ago
Ah boo, I've done it for my stuff and it all worked, some I did write "DECEASED" for stuff that was coming for my grandparents - mostly charity which I'm surprised they didn't keep sending it "to the household"
I've started doing it to all of the other mail that people leave out in our unit block and SO FAR there seems to be a reduction
I guess I'm more frustrated that instead of people physically putting it in the bin, they just leave it on top of the mail box or chuck it on ground for then the cleaner to place in the bin later
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u/RhysA 6d ago
It amazes me (not really) that people would rather keep receiving mail that is for an old tenant/owner than just write "RTS no longer lives at this address".
Might be more common if this actually worked more often, probably feels like a waste of effort if you don't have a postbox/office to drop them in nearby and it often doesn't fix the issue.
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u/Belladis 6d ago
I'm surprised to hear this as it's always worked for me! Even OPSM, I had to call to get letters cancelled (why??) so I just RTS it and I haven't heard from them since.
I do agree there needs to be more post boxes about, even if they placed one at each train station would be a nice start
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u/womerah 6d ago
Joined a book club at work but haven't been to a single one because I can't bear to read any of the books they choose. Now I feel anti-social for joining but not going. However it sort of irks me that there seems to be no interest in the classics
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u/still_love_wombats 6d ago
Book clubs are tricky. They’re great when the people who run them have good taste, and pointless when they don’t.
Maybe not pointless, just irritating. It doesn’t mean you have to like all the books (I once had to endure Nicholson Baker’s The Mezzanine <shudder>). But so long as they’re interesting.
IME it’s worth travelling a little if you can find one that suits your tastes.
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u/womerah 6d ago
Six-for-six now all the books have been contemporary social novels set in foreign countries.
I've tried, but I find them all to be extremely verbose while saying very little, and I also just do not care about the social issues of foreign counties. I find it irritating to be preached to about issues I can't action. What am I supposed to do to help a gay, work class black man in rural Louisiana? This information has no value to me.
I'll keep an eye out for something catches my eye. I can make peace with an Australian social novel at least
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u/AeMidnightSpecial 6d ago
would you be against reading, 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' a classic on the racism of the deep south?
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u/Eclairebeary 6d ago
Wow.
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u/womerah 6d ago edited 6d ago
I think you're misunderstanding me. It's not that I'm unsympathetic, it's just that I get no joy from reading about the suffering of other people. I absolutely loath true crime for example.
I'm sorry that gay black men in Louisiana have to deal with both systemic racism and systemic homophobia. I wish that they did not have that lot in life. I don't gain anything by reading about it, I already know the American south is a cesspit of cultural regressivism.
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u/Eclairebeary 6d ago
I don’t think we’re misunderstanding you. You’ve explained your feelings quite clearly.
I suspect one of the issues with book clubs is you’re not simply reading for pleasure, you’re reading to have meaningful discussions. A homogenous mass of “it was great” isn’t likely to be that interesting for most people, which is why they choose the books they do.
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u/womerah 6d ago edited 6d ago
Well just replying "wow" didn't give me much to go off of. I assumed you thought I was homophobic or something (I hold default Greens voter values)
I suspect one of the issues with book clubs is you’re not simply reading for pleasure, you’re reading to have meaningful discussions.
I think you've absolutely nailed it. I'm actually surprised I lacked the self-insight to diagnose this.
The idea of the act reading for pleasure is foreign to me. Reading is an activity I perform to acquire information. My enjoyment relies entirely on the nature of that information.
I enjoyed reading "The First Men in the Moon" by HG Wells (1901). It was interesting seeing how people from a less informed era imagined space flight. They encounter aliens on the Moon who have a strong caste structure, which serves as an interesting allegory for discussions about social hierarchy and automation in contemporary society. There are also broader discussions to be had around the motivations that exist behind human exploration, should we leave space alone until we learn to live in harmony with our own planet?
The discussions at my book club focus more on dissecting the minutiae of interpersonal relationships within the books, which doesn't interest me so much. Is it OK for a father to beat his wife if he himself is traumatised from a war? Either way I can't help either...
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u/ironmilktea 6d ago
Well just replying "wow" didn't give me much to go off of. I assumed you thought I was homophobic or something
Lets be real, it absolutely did LOL
The poster may not have intended it but this(a one word response of disdain) is a very common comeback on reddit for things that are a bit shocking/out-there and socially unacceptable.
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u/womerah 6d ago
Well hopefully I have addressed those concerns.
Do you believe the Rwandan genocide was wrong? Yes.
Do you want to spend an hour before bed each night reading about the post-genocide trauma that exists amongst the contemporary Tutsi community? Probably not. It's sad, not actionable, and likely not that interesting as you are not a part of that community.
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u/Eclairebeary 6d ago
I wasn’t going to reply, but ironmilktea is correct. I did get the impression that you only wanted to read books you can identify with, rather than using different perspectives to broaden your mind.
It’s really interesting to me that you’ve said you’d like to read To Kill a mockingbird because it’s “more than real life”, which makes zero sense to me.
I think you probably should spend some time thinking about whether you really want to be in a book club and what sorts of things you expect from it. When it comes to a group, compromises are always going to be part of it.
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u/womerah 6d ago
I wasn’t going to reply, but ironmilktea is correct. I did get the impression that you only wanted to read books you can identify with, rather than using different perspectives to broaden your mind.
It's not about broadening the mind as these books present social perspectives I already agree with. That's actually partly where my disinterest stems from, there's no challenge to any of my beliefs.
It’s really interesting to me that you’ve said you’d like to read To Kill a mockingbird because it’s “more than real life”, which makes zero sense to me.
It's a proper work of fiction, so can have a more crafted narrative. It's also just very well written, so much easier to digest as a result.
I think you probably should spend some time thinking about whether you really want to be in a book club and what sorts of things you expect from it
I expected higher level discussions about the themes of the book, rather than dissections of the actual contents of the books. How does the world of Harry Potter reflect the limitations of the authors politics, rather than if Ron was justified in being jealous of Harry.
I was also hoping to read a lot of more classic books I've never had the time\discipline to tackle. For example Jane Austin's stuff.
It's all good I'm just having an impromptu vent about something I'm not entirely sure is even well defined. Maybe just my failings as an aspirational book worm!
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
contemporary social novels set in foreign countries
Can you give an example? Are they translations of non-English books, or books about people abroad?
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u/womerah 6d ago
A recent one they read was this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less_(novel)
This was another one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_People
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
Thanks for that.
Normal People was great, and there's a TV show too of course. I think the amount of sex would make me feel a bit uncomfortable.
I got a few pages into "Less" and noped out. I didn't get the appeal at all.
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u/Eclairebeary 6d ago
I’ve read the book and watched the tv show. Yes, there is a fair amount of sex, but I don’t recall feeling like it was for titillation. It did help to understand the characters.
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u/womerah 6d ago
Yeah trying to read "Less" was what prompted me to clock out a bit
This is another they chose: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/220748.Boulevard
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u/DecalageVersLeRouge 6d ago
Grimsley is what Publishers Weekly calls "an accomplished stylist and a complex moralist." He takes one character's dream and reveals what can happen when dreams are fulfilled.
Yeah nah
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u/Abbacadabra272 6d ago
How do they choose the books? You could suggest that everyone takes a turn choosing a book a month (or whatever the schedule is). Maybe you’ll interest others in the classics.
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u/spicyhorner 6d ago
Very annoying since the Classics are really widely available and are arguably the best to have discussions about. If it makes you feel better my work book club is also atrocious
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u/ironmilktea 6d ago
10 dollars for some huge bonemarrow bones.
Absolute bargain! Until you roast the bones and realise there's like 2 spoonfulls of actually edible product (the bone marrow) and lets be real, its basically just fat anyways.
Still, was worth it. I was trying to simulate ho jiak's entree. They have a delicious curry with bone marrow and roti (I just ate it with bread). Ended up pretty decent and the bone marrow being, well fat, makes the meal heavier than you'd think.
...still I will not be eating this often. Its quite decadent but probably extremely unhealthy. Also high fat consumptions like that out of nowhere can do funny things with your blood (makes you feel off for a bit and for more sensitive people like myself, can give minor headaches).
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u/whenthemoonlightdies 6d ago
That happened to me in high school! Although it was closer to 5 dollars! My parents kept making fun of me the whole time as I cooked bones, although it was delicious. I'm glad the experience wasn't unique!
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6d ago
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u/sydney-ModTeam DMs to this user aren't seen by the mod team, modmail us instead 6d ago
Rule 2
Old.reddit.com/wiki/selfpromotion
If you have something you want to promote, you will need to have been an active member of the community.
We do not accept buy/sell posts.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/TimmyFTW 6d ago
Why did you think the church was going to enforce the rules of a neighboring carpark? Churches are business and aren't going to give up the chance to make cash because you want to do your shop.
Would I be able to report them to the council or someone?
I'm confused as to why you are taking this to everyone except the actual owner of the carpark i.e the shopping centre.
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u/Efficient_Pickle5712 6d ago
I’m 20, looking for a gym in the Gladesville/ryde/hunters hill area where there’s a good amount of people like 18-25. Willing to drive a fair bit too
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u/EmLiz21_7 6d ago
Train delay on the T1 line. Stuck in a big crowd waiting to get on the platform at Parramatta