Alhadis
@alhadis.bsky.social
Cynical optimist. I'm just here to post shower-thoughts, weird facts I've just learned (but have nobody specific to share them with), and other irreverent bullcrap. 🇦🇺 Nature lover and tree-hugger proudly hailing from Melbourne, Australia.
Still relevant in 2026 as it was five years ago.
Sonic weapons are no joke.
Sonic weapons are no joke.
LRADs and Sound Cannons Are NOT Safe. Here's How To Minimize Their Effects.
YouTube video by Benn Jordan
www.youtube.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Still relevant in 2026 as it was five years ago.
Sonic weapons are no joke.
Sonic weapons are no joke.
I'm taking it you're hanging out in the store longer than usual to enjoy their aircon?
It's 42° outside here in Melbourne.
It's 42° outside here in Melbourne.
January 27, 2026 at 5:58 AM
I'm taking it you're hanging out in the store longer than usual to enjoy their aircon?
It's 42° outside here in Melbourne.
It's 42° outside here in Melbourne.
(and for my fellow Australians, "R-rated" in the US just means "MA15+" and not… pornography)
January 27, 2026 at 5:56 AM
(and for my fellow Australians, "R-rated" in the US just means "MA15+" and not… pornography)
The other night I dreamt there was an R-rated remake of Captain Planet for the 2020s, with gore and swearing and everything, targeting the millennials like myself who grew up with that show.
NGL, I'd probably watch the shit out of that, provided it kept the hand-drawn, celluloid animation style.
NGL, I'd probably watch the shit out of that, provided it kept the hand-drawn, celluloid animation style.
January 27, 2026 at 5:54 AM
The other night I dreamt there was an R-rated remake of Captain Planet for the 2020s, with gore and swearing and everything, targeting the millennials like myself who grew up with that show.
NGL, I'd probably watch the shit out of that, provided it kept the hand-drawn, celluloid animation style.
NGL, I'd probably watch the shit out of that, provided it kept the hand-drawn, celluloid animation style.
And now I'm firing up Inkscape just to losslessly position and resize a bunch of PNGs because I don't know what GIMP's equivalent of a Smart Object layer is, assuming it even has one…
January 23, 2026 at 10:04 AM
And now I'm firing up Inkscape just to losslessly position and resize a bunch of PNGs because I don't know what GIMP's equivalent of a Smart Object layer is, assuming it even has one…
Day 𝑁 of trying to adjust to GIMP after swearing off Adobe products:
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE FUCKING POLYGONAL LASSO TOOL?!"
Yeah, it's not going well…
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE FUCKING POLYGONAL LASSO TOOL?!"
Yeah, it's not going well…
January 23, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Day 𝑁 of trying to adjust to GIMP after swearing off Adobe products:
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE FUCKING POLYGONAL LASSO TOOL?!"
Yeah, it's not going well…
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE FUCKING POLYGONAL LASSO TOOL?!"
Yeah, it's not going well…
Pretty damn sure that's a way of life in most countries, my dude…
January 23, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Pretty damn sure that's a way of life in most countries, my dude…
Just mix a little bit of dimethylmercury into his shaving cream. It only needs to be trace amounts.
Then wait ~7 days for the mercury-poisoning symptoms to become apparent. At which point, it'll be too late for even the best surgeons in the world to do anything.
Then wait ~7 days for the mercury-poisoning symptoms to become apparent. At which point, it'll be too late for even the best surgeons in the world to do anything.
January 23, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Just mix a little bit of dimethylmercury into his shaving cream. It only needs to be trace amounts.
Then wait ~7 days for the mercury-poisoning symptoms to become apparent. At which point, it'll be too late for even the best surgeons in the world to do anything.
Then wait ~7 days for the mercury-poisoning symptoms to become apparent. At which point, it'll be too late for even the best surgeons in the world to do anything.
TIL that "ACAB" in hexadecimal is a prime number (44,203).
So not only are all cops bastards, they're only divisible by themselves (or something).
So not only are all cops bastards, they're only divisible by themselves (or something).
January 20, 2026 at 9:05 AM
TIL that "ACAB" in hexadecimal is a prime number (44,203).
So not only are all cops bastards, they're only divisible by themselves (or something).
So not only are all cops bastards, they're only divisible by themselves (or something).
Too real, dude. Way too real.
January 20, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Too real, dude. Way too real.
Nope, I'm afraid not. I noticed the `-webkit-backdrop-filter` property is ostensibly supported, and the autocomplete suggestions in Safari's devtools even list the usual filter effects (see second attachment), but they didn't appear to have any visible effect when I added them.
January 20, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Nope, I'm afraid not. I noticed the `-webkit-backdrop-filter` property is ostensibly supported, and the autocomplete suggestions in Safari's devtools even list the usual filter effects (see second attachment), but they didn't appear to have any visible effect when I added them.
Aussie magpies are actually Artamids: same drab plumage, same highly-complex social structures and uncannily high intelligence; the main difference is that corvids can't sing for shit, and have repetitive, often grating calls (think crows and ravens, for example).
Artamids, meanwhile…
Artamids, meanwhile…
The Savage Sopranos
YouTube video by The Backyard Naturalist
youtu.be
January 20, 2026 at 3:46 AM
Aussie magpies are actually Artamids: same drab plumage, same highly-complex social structures and uncannily high intelligence; the main difference is that corvids can't sing for shit, and have repetitive, often grating calls (think crows and ravens, for example).
Artamids, meanwhile…
Artamids, meanwhile…
Australian Magpies Hanging Around - Part 1
YouTube video by The Magpie Whisperer
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:54 AM
Australian magpies *are* highly intelligent, despite sharing no relation to the septentrional bird of the same name. But they have one thing corvids don't (aside from a complex, beautiful calls)… character.
Magpies Wrestle and Playfight
YouTube video by The Magpie Whisperer
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:53 AM
Australian magpies *are* highly intelligent, despite sharing no relation to the septentrional bird of the same name. But they have one thing corvids don't (aside from a complex, beautiful calls)… character.
Like, the optic nerve that connects our eyes to the brain sends this information directly to the region of the brain responsible for regulating energy production, and we have no control over it. It's literally hardcoded by evolution into our body's programming.
Blue light = day
Red light = sunset
Blue light = day
Red light = sunset
January 20, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Like, the optic nerve that connects our eyes to the brain sends this information directly to the region of the brain responsible for regulating energy production, and we have no control over it. It's literally hardcoded by evolution into our body's programming.
Blue light = day
Red light = sunset
Blue light = day
Red light = sunset
I'm a hypocrite for not following the advice I'm about to give, but avoiding blue light an hour before bed (or better yet, bathing yourself in orange/red light) sends a short-circuited message to the brain that it's time to start winding down.
January 20, 2026 at 2:45 AM
I'm a hypocrite for not following the advice I'm about to give, but avoiding blue light an hour before bed (or better yet, bathing yourself in orange/red light) sends a short-circuited message to the brain that it's time to start winding down.
This morning, one of the magpies pulled the wick out from a candle that was sitting on the aforementioned table.
I'm not sure how—or why—they did, but I assume they thought it was a white worm of sorts. Or they were simply being their usual destructive, inquisitive selves.
I love those birds. ❤️
I'm not sure how—or why—they did, but I assume they thought it was a white worm of sorts. Or they were simply being their usual destructive, inquisitive selves.
I love those birds. ❤️
January 20, 2026 at 2:43 AM
This morning, one of the magpies pulled the wick out from a candle that was sitting on the aforementioned table.
I'm not sure how—or why—they did, but I assume they thought it was a white worm of sorts. Or they were simply being their usual destructive, inquisitive selves.
I love those birds. ❤️
I'm not sure how—or why—they did, but I assume they thought it was a white worm of sorts. Or they were simply being their usual destructive, inquisitive selves.
I love those birds. ❤️
At some point, push has to come to shove, and now that ICE have employed lethal force (and have been tacitly permitted by the Trump administration to do so), arming up is the most logical defence. Even if you don't fire a shot in self-defence, simply knowing their victims are carrying can deter ICE.
January 20, 2026 at 2:41 AM
At some point, push has to come to shove, and now that ICE have employed lethal force (and have been tacitly permitted by the Trump administration to do so), arming up is the most logical defence. Even if you don't fire a shot in self-defence, simply knowing their victims are carrying can deter ICE.
Real-life facehugger!
January 20, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Real-life facehugger!
That's what I call a happy medium, TBH.
January 19, 2026 at 11:54 PM
That's what I call a happy medium, TBH.
Probably Sonic the Hedgehog 2, whose controls I lost my shit at all the time. This was on Sega Mega Drive; I don't know if the controllers handled any better on other consoles.
But goddamn, trying NOT to roll Sonic off a ledge in that underwater level when the oxygen timer is running out… ugh. 😫
But goddamn, trying NOT to roll Sonic off a ledge in that underwater level when the oxygen timer is running out… ugh. 😫
January 19, 2026 at 11:48 PM
Probably Sonic the Hedgehog 2, whose controls I lost my shit at all the time. This was on Sega Mega Drive; I don't know if the controllers handled any better on other consoles.
But goddamn, trying NOT to roll Sonic off a ledge in that underwater level when the oxygen timer is running out… ugh. 😫
But goddamn, trying NOT to roll Sonic off a ledge in that underwater level when the oxygen timer is running out… ugh. 😫
I'm on an older version of Safari (version 17.6), and this is what I'm seeing:
(It's supported on newer versions, as reported by @skybrina.org, but this is what lack of support looks like on Safari, in case that information is helpful for you…)
(It's supported on newer versions, as reported by @skybrina.org, but this is what lack of support looks like on Safari, in case that information is helpful for you…)
January 19, 2026 at 11:39 PM
I'm on an older version of Safari (version 17.6), and this is what I'm seeing:
(It's supported on newer versions, as reported by @skybrina.org, but this is what lack of support looks like on Safari, in case that information is helpful for you…)
(It's supported on newer versions, as reported by @skybrina.org, but this is what lack of support looks like on Safari, in case that information is helpful for you…)
I used to think the Huns and Hungarians were the same people, but apparently they're of two completely different lineages (and eras). The Huns spoke "Hunnic" (a Turkic language), as opposed to Hungarian (a Uralic language).
They had similar nomadic lifestyles though, though, so IDFK. 🤷♂️
They had similar nomadic lifestyles though, though, so IDFK. 🤷♂️
January 19, 2026 at 11:32 PM
I used to think the Huns and Hungarians were the same people, but apparently they're of two completely different lineages (and eras). The Huns spoke "Hunnic" (a Turkic language), as opposed to Hungarian (a Uralic language).
They had similar nomadic lifestyles though, though, so IDFK. 🤷♂️
They had similar nomadic lifestyles though, though, so IDFK. 🤷♂️