Quick Aldi Solar Shed light modification

Here's a quick modification to turn the Aldi Solar Shed light into a dark-triggered lamp.
Three components are used: a resistor, a light-dependent resistor and an N-channel MOSFET. A variable resistor was used for tuning.

one side of rear bicycle brakes touching rim

Check the cable and the sleeve. I didn't realise it had such a great effect on the brake pads.

LED 'bulbs' problems

Flickering - check individual LED modules
Doesn't turn on - check bridge rectifier

Myki automatic blocking

Remote unblocking improves myki customer experience

Date Published: Tuesday 11 December 2012

Metropolitan customers whose myki card is blocked following a failed auto top up payment request will now have their myki card remotely unblocked.
A blocked myki card will be unblocked when a customer touches on at a myki reader or myki gate, or uses a myki machine. A card will also be unblocked at a Premium Station ticket office or myki retail outlet, provided a customer is completing a myki top up transaction.
The change means customers no longer have to post their myki to customer care to be unblocked and significantly reduces the amount of time between making the required payment and being able to use the myki card.
Auto top up adds value to a myki card and then requests payment from the customer’s linked bank account or credit card later. If this payment request is unsuccessful, the myki is blocked until payment has been made.
If an auto top up customer has their myki card blocked, they can make a payment via their online account or by calling 1800 800 007. A successful payment immediately triggers a request to be sent to myki devices across the system to unblock the card.
Customers should allow at least 24 hours for their payment to be processed and for the unblock request to be available at devices.
Remote unblocking has initially been introduced in metropolitan Melbourne. Bus passengers in regional towns where myki operates should note that the software is currently scheduled to be deployed on regional buses by the end of 2012. It is possible to unblock a myki at a myki machine in regional towns.
Auto top up is available to registered customers and provides ‘set and forget’ convenience. When a customer’s myki money balance falls below their nominated threshold, it is automatically topped up with an amount of the customer’s choice so that they are always ready to travel.
Customers should ensure that their bank account or debit/credit card details are kept up to date in their myki online account, and that sufficient funds are available to pay for any top up that has been applied to their myki.

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news/news-promotions/remote-unblocking-improves-myki-customer-experience

It sounds like if you're courageous enough to use auto top up then you'd better be clever enough to have another card - especially with the unblocking delay. Ridiculous.

Also, I had a dream where I didn't add the fried onion packet into my instant mi goreng. Scary scenario.

Visiting Melbourne

Dot points because I can't be bothered forming paragraphs:

• Took an overnight Greyhound coach. The bus driver stalled at a major intersection.
• Got to wake up next to a lovely young lady in the morning though. Well, several times in fact and to the smell of fried chicken at the 4AM meal break stop.
• $11 a day for two zones' travel seems a bit steep.
• Police operations held up a train. It seemed like twenty PSOs and police converged to encourage one young man out of a carriage, while his companions continued leaping around inside.
• Contrastingly cheap weekend fares and good 10 minute frequency in the middle of the day.
• Original wording of City2Sea public transport options could be trying to hide the fact that there is no easy way into the city on Sunday morning!

Before: Public transport travel in Zones 1 and 2 is free for your journey home from the event on event date only.

After: “Trains, trams and buses are the best way to get home from the City2Sea run on Sunday 11 November with public transport travel included in the cost of the event ticket.  

Public transport travel in Zones 1 and 2 is free from first to last service on Sunday 11 November by simply presenting your chest bib when requested by public transport staff.”

• Indeed the first trams of the day were full of participants.
• Trams are slow and stop too often!
• New fences won't do much to stop people jaywalking:

• Lots of small random shops moving into the shopping centre:

 

• Also: saw an elderly Caucasian lady drinking a can of Mother energy drink while dragging a shopping cart

DIY bicycle mudguard

I have a rear rack and so most of the muck from the road doesn't reach my back. However, my chain and gears have been getting quite dirty after cycling on wet roads. Not really needing a full mudguard and having an unused packet of polymorph pellets of thermoplastic from Jaycar, I went about mashing out my own mudguard. It required a clothes iron, baking paper and some scissors and cable ties to fasten it to the frame. We'll see if it's any good or indeed whether it melts away in summer...

brute-forcing a shower drain

It's possible - I wore a pair of thongs and stomped on the open drain port over and over, mimicking plunging action. The shower was draining very slowly.  It took quite a few attempts spread over a few days (after giving up every now and then). Eventually it worked out.