Hark!

Ameel Khan November 19, 2022

Hark!

Photo of a red/brown dog in a large park. The dog is wearing a walking harness and is looking intently at something off camera.

Medibank data breach

Ameel Khan November 15, 2022

Finally got the email [1] from Medibank saying that my old membership data with them was stolen by cyber criminals.

Screenshot of an email with the heading ‘An important update from Medibank’.
The email reads: “Dear Ameel, We’re deeply sorry to inform you that some data relating to your former membership has been stolen in the recent cybercrime event. This email details what specific membership data was stolen, outlines actions you can take to safeguard your online identity, and the services available through our Cyber Response Support Program”.
The email then goes on to list what categories of data have and have not been stolen. The data stolen is name, gender, date of birth, email, address, phone number, policy number, and passport number. The data not stolen is credit card and banking details, and health claims data.

I left Medibank in 2009 so, with the exception of my name, gender, and date of birth [2], all the other data they have one me is now outdated and irrelevant.

And while it’s not great that various cybercriminals now have this data, in the broader scheme of things ‘tis but a flesh wound. After all, there’s not much that cybercriminals can do with a single old residential address, an old pre-paid phone number, and an expired Pakistani passport number :)

(Why Medibank kept all my customer data thirteen years after I closed my account with them is a whole other issue, of course. *sigh*)

[1] I got the email from them on 15 November 2022.

[2] You can find all this about me using open-source intelligence gathering anyway — like by looking through my social media feeds and seeing when my friends have wished me ‘happy birthday’, for example.

Springtime in Melbourne?

Ameel Khan November 14, 2022

At 1pm Nadia and I agreed that it wasn’t cold enough to justify turning on the big heater today.

But this is Melbourne we’re talking about.

So, four hours later…

Photo of a red/brown dog settled comfortably on a mat in front of a residential gas heater in a dimly lit living room.

Gaps in the rain radar

Ameel Khan November 14, 2022

I’m very pleased with my ability to find the gaps in the rain in which to walk the dog.

The arrow on the rain radar map below shows the direction the clouds are moving in. The gap marked out is when I walked Maggie.

And this is what happened exactly two minutes after we got home!

Animated GIF showing of a wild and windy downpour in a residential back garden.

Not a fan of Halloween decorations

Ameel Khan October 29, 2022

Maggie (our heeler/kelpie mix), the first time we walk by this Halloween decoration: does a double take, but keeps walking.

Second time: takes a hard look (still without breaking her stride) but then determines it’s some stupid human thing.

Third time: ignores it completely.

Photo of a fake dog skeleton placed on a flagstone among other Halloween decorations in a residential garden.

Lessons from dog

Ameel Khan October 27, 2022

The best way to deal with the clammy, rainy, miserable afternoon we’re having in Melbourne today…

Photo of a red/brown dog sprawled out in front of a gas heater, with her front paws stretched out towards the fire. The dog is lying half off of the mat that’s been placed on the floor for it. The dog has her chin pressed up against the tiled area that’s in front of the heater.

Walking in the rain

Ameel Khan October 14, 2022

I’ve gotten very good at interpreting the Bureau of Meteorology rain radar to find 15–30-minute gaps in the downpour during which I can walk Maggie.

This photo is from our successful zip around the block yesterday.

Selfie of a bearded, bespectacled man in a yellow raincoat who is walking a red/brown dog that’s wearing a black raincoat. The pair are walking along a residential street.

You can’t 100% rely on the rain radar, of course, so Maggie and I are always dressed for the worst.

This Ruff n Rugged oilskin coat from PETstock works remarkably well, and Maggie is comfortable wearing it.

Photo of a red/brown dog in a black, oilskin raincoat sniffing at something on a nature strip along a residential road.

Today, however, we’ve had short showers followed by periods of bright, warm sunshine — the latter of which Maggie is making the most of.

Photo of a red/brown dog sitting in a residential back garden on a sunny day. The dog is sitting comfortably and has its eyes partly closed because of the bright sunlight.

Fortunately, we don’t live near a river so we’ve avoided all the flooding on the Maribyrnong. The flood retarding basins in Melbourne are certainly earning their keep this week!

Music discovery and listening

Ameel Khan October 11, 2022

How do you keep up with the latest music releases? More generally, how do you discover new music to listen to? (At least music that’s new to you.)

Are you beholden to whatever Spotify and commercial FM radio stations are paid to promote to you? Do you get recommendations from people whose taste matches your own? Or maybe whose taste doesn’t quite match your own? Do you let your streaming music provider’s algorithm decide?

Or do you just not listen to new music?

Here’s how I do it: every few weeks I switch between music discovery mode and music listening mode.

Screenshot from YouTube Music’s music discovery playlists. There are songs and albums listed under two headings: ‘New releases’ and ‘Mixed for you’.

Music discovery mode

In music discovery mode I listen to lots of songs I haven’t heard before, regardless of whether they’re old or new releases.

I do that by actively seeking out music from a range of sources, like:

YouTube Music’s various discovery, new-release, ‘mixed for you’, and auto-play playlists,
commercial FM radio stations in Melbourne (only when I’m in the car),
David Byrne Radio,
recommendations from podcasts (like the Women of Rock Oral History Project),
music from the movies and television shows I’m watching, and
full album listens based on whatever random song I’ve heard or music-related thought I’ve recently had.

That last one is possibly the most fun, by the way. I love listening to full albums and this lets me listen to both old and new albums, from both current and past artists.

Like recently ‘I’m Not Over’ by Carolina Liar popped into my head, so I went and listened to their whole ‘Coming To Terms’ album. And most recently I listened to Michelle Branch’s new album, ‘The Trouble with Fever’, which I really liked.

Anyway, if I like any of the songs I hear – or I at least want to give them a second listen – I’ll add those songs to my ‘current’ playlist.

Screenshot from the website of musician David Byrne, showing his radio station page – where he compiles and publishes playlists on different topics, mood, and type of music.

Music listening mode

After a period of discovery I’ll move into music listening mode. That’s basically me listening to my ‘current’ playlist, usually on shuffle :)

Eventually, when/if I get tired of a song, I’ll remove it from my playlist. And, if I really liked it, I’ll add it to my YouTube Music ‘library’.

So that’s what works for me.

What system do you use? Did you put much thought into it? How have you tweaked it over the years? And how is all that working for you? I’d love to know.

South Asian Round Table at AMWF 2022

Ameel Khan October 4, 2022

I attended the South Asian Round Table at the Australian Muslim Writers Festival 2022 which featured Nadia Niaz, Adalya Nash Hussein, Tasnim Hossain, and Tasneem Chopra (as the moderator).

The Coburg Library, where this event was held, is the very first library from which Nadia I got library cards when we moved to Australia in 2006 :)

Photo of a library event space with three green armchairs and a couple of coffee tables arranged in front of a wall. On the wall behind the armchairs is a TV screen with ‘The South Asian Round Table’ displayed in large letters on it.

The discussion was great!

The upshot was that we’re all excited about more (probably second and third generation) South Asians getting into the arts – both in front and behind the scenes. And though there’s been some representation in recent years, there’s still a long way to go and a lot more to do.

Photo of four women of colour sitting on armchairs, taking part in a panel discussion

Here Adalya is talking as a journal editor about making space at the table for South Asian writers.

Photo of two women of colour on a panel discussion. One of the women is gesturing with her hands as she makes her point.

Here is Nadia talking about how she built her own platform to showcase multilingual writers in Australia because nobody else was doing it.

And here’s Tasnim talking about creating safe spaces for minoritised groups in her role as theatre director.

Photo of two women of colour on a panel discussion. One of the women is gesturing with her hands as she makes her point. The other woman, who is the moderator, is listening attentively to what’s being said.

Finally, a big shout-out to Özge Sevindik Alkan from The Right Pen Collective for running the whole festival. (This particular panel discussion was organised in conjunction with the SAARI Collective, fyi.)

Özge is the festival director. And, as you know, a festival director’s job is never done!

Photo of a woman wearing a bright blue hijab. The woman is sitting on a chair with a laptop on her lap, while at the same time typing on a smartphone that she’s holding above the laptop.

It would’ve been nice to attend more events from this festival this year, but hopefully I’ll get to do that next year.

Earmuffs?

Ameel Khan September 21, 2022

Get your car some, er, earmuffs? blinkers? mittens?

Photo of an older car with matching, maroon-coloured woollen covers squeezed onto the side view mirrors.

Album cover feels

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

I took a photo that looked like an album cover, so…I made one.

High contrast, sepia photo of people wearing dark, warm clothes walking in a diagonal line through a walkway under a train line. The photo has been cropped and made to look like an album cover with the band name ‘below ground’ printed in large, all-caps text along the bottom. In the top left corner, in slightly opaque bright yellow text, is the album title ‘Volume IV’.

“But what about the three previous albums”, you ask?

Well, this is where it all started…

Photo of a harshly lit underpass, tweaked till the photo is very high contrast black and orange. The photo has been made to look like an album cover for a band named ‘Below Ground’ – which is written in large, all capital letters along the bottom of the image. The album is titled ‘Volume 1’.

Then there was the difficult sophomore album…

Photo of a tunnel with (apparently) colourful panels placed across its curved ceiling. The photo has been desaturated to a pale blue tint and had been made to look like an album cover. Along the bottom of the image, in all capital letters, is the band’s name: ‘Below Ground’. In the top left corner is the album title: ‘2’.

Followed by a critically acclaimed and welcome change in direction by the third album…

Photo of train tracks entering a train station through a tunnel with a large pedestrian crossing on top of it. The photo has been made to look like an album cover, with the band’s name ‘Below Ground’ printed in all-caps at the bottom of the image. In the top left corner is the lowercase letter i repeated three times, which are the Roman numerals for the number three deliberately written incorrectly. That is the title of this album.

Also, these look better when you put them together in a grid :)

Digital cameras through the years

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

As I dug through my old photos to precisely date my lost Instagram years, it occurred to me that I hadn’t documented anywhere all the digital cameras I’ve been using since 2005. So here’s that list in a nice timeline for future reference.

Infographic showing a series of digital cameras and smartphones placed along a timeline from 2005 to 2021

I don’t just have a timeline, I actually have a record of the first date on which I took a photo using each of these cameras. So, for completeness’ sake…

Olympus µ-20: 4 Jan 2005
Sony Ericsson K750i: 6 May 2006
Canon IXUS 120 IS: 23 Aug 2008
BlackBerry Bold 9000: 25 Jun 2009
HTC Desire HD: 27 Nov 2011
Apple iPhone 4: 1 Dec 2012
Samsung Galaxy S III: 2 Feb 2013
Samsung Galaxy Note 4: 9 Nov 2014
Google Pixel XL: 2 Nov 2016
Google Pixel 3XL: 18 Dec 2018
Google Pixel 6 Pro: 28 Oct 2021

Fun times, and some really good photos too – the oldest of which you can see on my Flickr photostream, by the way (which I don’t post to anymore).

I look forward to seeing which camera – smartphone-based or otherwise – I get next.

UPDATE: I bought a new camera, a Fujifilm X-S10, in December 2022.

Unlocked Instagram photos 4: Jul 2018 to Dec 2018

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

July 2018

Melbourne

There's one big, dark cloud in the sky and I'm right in the middle of its shadow :) #dramaticsky

Afternoon snoozles on the bed. #redheeler #australiancattledog

Gorgeous sunset over Docklands today #dramaticsky #redsky #melbourne

Friday afternoon at Southern Cross station. #hazyday #waveroof #melbourne

Today we visited Maggie's favourite grass patch of winter 2018. Every time we walk by here she spends a few minutes munching down on that delicious, greeny goodness. #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Saturday selfie with @nadianiaz at the West Writer's Forum at @footscrayarts #WestWriters18

August 2018

Melbourne

Wednesday vs Friday aesthetic while wearing the same pair of dark brown @aquila_est1958 chukka boots :) #versatile #mensfashion

$Saturday afternoon nap. Yes, she's supposed to be ON that towel when she's on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #letsleepingdogslie #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog$

Saturday afternoon nap. Yes, she's supposed to be ON that towel when she's on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #letsleepingdogslie #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Today was fun! Visited one of our CityLink incident response bases - this one located under the Footscray Road on-ramp. Chatted with the fabulous team there and got to check out our rapid response vehicles. One is a flat-bed for towing cars and small trucks off the road. The other has a massive portable crash barrier (the big yellow thing). These trucks travel in pairs. The second one parks further behind, and then deploys its crash barrier to provide extra safety for everyone on the road. I even got to sit in one of the trucks. And, yes, I'm decked out in full safety gear :)

The weather certainly took a turn for the interesting this afternoon! #hail #melbweather #melbourne

Ah, Melbourne. After yesterday's rain and hail, today we're treated to a gorgeous, sunny day. One that Maggie is making the most of :) #rescuedog #redheeler

I get that he's supposed to be throwing a spear, but he could totally be doing the luddi, as well :) #andback #andclap #andstep #dance

Back at @MelbBSchool for the second subject of my Professional Certificate of Business Analytics. This one's a 5-day intensive with @hughewilliams. #goodtimes #lotstolearn @melbournebschool

Love these 4K cable channel ads from @foxtel :) And, of course, that we're getting a 2160p broadcast channel in Australia. Looking forward to subscribing once we upgrade our TV.

Today is cold and miserable in #Melbourne so here's a throwback to Friday when the sun was actually out for a little while! #melbweather

Belated #FridaySelfie. Or let's call it what it really is: making the most of working in a building with *highly* reflective lift interiors :)

I *love* the #design and colour coded organisation of these files at #Melbourne Endodontics. Dr Peter Spili is pretty awesome, too. #specialist #consultation

Not quite a #bakeoff cliffhanger moment, but here's @nadianiaz keeping an eye on the samosas in the over :) #muchlatergram

Not long now till we get to hear @nadianiaz perform her poetry at the Melbourne Writer's Festival! Here's the program with her picture on it and everything :) #MWF18

Loved the performances of all these fabulous #WestWriters at the Melbourne Writers Festival this afternoon! #MWF18

Sunshine Road, as promised. #westfootscraystation #melbwest #melbourne

Sunny Sunday afternoons are for enjoying a kangaroo tendon on the grass :) #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Sundays are also for playing tag and, once you've won the rope toy, working hard to tear it to pieces :) #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

$Saturday afternoon nap. Yes, she's supposed to be ON that towel when she's on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #letsleepingdogslie #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog$ Today was fun! Visited one of our CityLink incident response bases - this one located under the Footscray Road on-ramp. Chatted with the fabulous team there and got to check out our rapid response vehicles. One is a flat-bed for towing cars and smal

September 2018

Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane

Taking a nap in the study on a dreary Sunday afternoon when the hoomins are on their computers. #blankie #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Someone is thoroughly enjoying her morning in the sun :) #redheeler #australiancattledog #springisfinallyhere☀️

View from my office today. It's so weird being in Sydney and working from the CBD when, for the last six years, I've worked out of the Qantas offices in Mascot! #newjob #newplaces

What? @nadianiaz is in the bathroom? I'll just get comfortable on her side of the bed then, shall I? #rescuedog #redheeler

Waiting patiently for the dog she heard three houses away to finally walk by our gate. #alwaysalert #alwaysready #turnsoutitwasajogger #janglykeysinpocket #redheeler #australiancattledog

I would like some head scritches please. #sundayafternoon #redheeler #australiancattledog

Came to #Brisbane for the day for work. Enjoyed the gorgeous, sunny day but didn't see any snakes next to the office parking lot. #winsome #losesome

Bro, do you even... #brisbane @brisbaneairport

The best way to recover from a long walk in the sun is to sit in the coolest patch of grass in the garden. #lifehacks #lifehacksfromdog #redheeler #australiancattledog

What a delicious addition to our new office! Right next to the Tech Servo, too, so you can do your screaming while having your laptop fixed #screamintotheglazedvoid #floorplan

Maggie waits and watches while we park the car, close the gate, and *finally* open the front door to let her out. #rescuedog #paitientdog #whinesthiswholetime

Sunday afternoon nap on the sofa. #outcold #australiancattledog

October 2018

Melbourne

Post dinner snoozles in the study while @nadianiaz and I are both on our computers. #onepawout #redheeler #rescuedog #seaworld #sheknowswherehertowelis

Up-side of sitting facing the windows: lots of natural light, great views. Down-side of sitting facing the windows: your eyes pick up EVERY single tiny speck of dust on you glasses like they're the best exoplanet finding telescope known to humankind. #transitphotometry

Bike racks in the underground university car park. #thursdaynight #urbanspaces

Pour one out for Todd Bol, creator of the Little Free Library movement, who died of cancer a couple of days ago. This is our local #libraryonastick in Kingsville, Victoria, #Australia. #melbwest

A nap in the sun, followed by a nap in the shade. #doglife #australiancattledog #redheeler

Keeping an ear on the neighbourhood and listening for dogs being walked down our street #alert #whatbigearsyouhave #australiancattledog #redheeler

November 2018

Melbourne

Wait...is that a dog barking at the end of the street? #sundaywalk #redheeler #rescuedog

Someone certainly enjoyed snoozing in the sun this afternoon. The fun stuff you get to see when you're working from home :) #redheeler #rescuedog #sleepinginahole

Thank you for that lovely speech @billshortenmp welcoming us into our official Australianness this evening at @cityofmaribyrnong @maribyrnongcc - with Dr @nadianiaz

Thunderstorms are here - as promised by @BOM_Vic :) Got to the station just in time! #melbweather #melbourne

Nice rainy day for our first #democracysausage - with @nadianiaz #victoriavotes @electionsvic

FANTASTIC show by David Byrne in #Melbourne! 12 barefoot musicians in grey suits with instruments strapped to them (including a deconstructed drum kit) danced and played across the stage. Every song a delight to listen to and watch. #impressed #entertained #joy

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition - or the sounds of tradies coming from *behind* you when you're on the 29th floor! #docklands @collins_square

(1) Delicious toy! (2) Nom, nom. (3) What? (4) What was that behind you? #thoughtsofdog #playingtug #winner #eveningplaytime #redheeler #rescuedog

Chilling out after her morning walk with @nadianiaz. One of the nice things you get to see when you work from home for the day :) #flexibleworking #redheeler #rescuedog #australiancattledog

December 2018

Melbourne

Going home from work at 7pm yesterday and the @collins_square Tower 5 lobby was completely deserted. #liminalspace #latergtam

Malala Yousafzai is equal parts impressive and endearing. Lovely and inspiring to hear from her today. #allthefeels #malala18 @the_growth_faculty - with @nadianiaz

Saturday afternoon nap - the kind you can take only *after* the vacuuming has been done :) #redheeler #rescuedog #stretchedout

Obligatory post-barbecue investigation to look for anything that may have fallen off plates and trays :) #followyournose #redheeler

Interrupting Maggie's post-dinner nap for a selfie :) #letsleepingdogslie #redheeler

Every morning Maggie jumps on to the bed for a cuddle and stays till we're both up. Most days @nadianiaz is out of bed first so on some days this is what I wake up to :)

Someone is about to discover that I'm home early today :) #sleepingdog #earstillup

Sunny day at the @suntheatre in #Yarraville Village. #holidays

Delicious dark chocolate at Coracle Cafe in Yarraville Village. Their food is excellent too! - with @nadianiaz #saturdaybrunch

Thumbs up for a Monday barbecue! - with @nadianiaz

Afternoon naps are nice - even if you can't fully stretch out on the sofa because you have a dog leaning comfortably on you bum so she can take her own afternoon nap :) #holidays

Saturday evening at the @suntheatre in #Yarraville #4moviesin4days

$I guess this is her spot now - every time I try to take an afternoon nap on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #lifewithdog$

I guess this is her spot now - every time I try to take an afternoon nap on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #lifewithdog

$I guess this is her spot now - every time I try to take an afternoon nap on the sofa. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #lifewithdog$

Unlocked Instagram photos 3: Jan 2018 to Jun 2018

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

January 2018

Melbourne

Getting friendly with the residents of Carlton Gardens.

Me and Maggie chilling out on tall grass at night - as imagined by Niece the First #betterthanaphoto #beardgotlongerthough

Restful Sunday morning with #TheGhan (note @nadianiaz's head in the bottom right corner!)

Annual Australian Open selfie with @nadianiaz at @ausopen2018 :)

Fast asleep on @nadianiaz's leg :) #sleepingdog #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Maggie isn't quite as thrilled as I am about how fabulously @angie.kerber is player against Sharapova at the @australianopen tonight :) #postdinnernap #rescuedog #redheeler

Happy Pride, everyone! It's almost 1pm and the crowds are starting to assemble for #Midsumma #pridemarch in #Melbourne. #35degrees @stowawatches

All ready to march :) #Midsumma #pridemarch #Melbourne #flyingwithpride #jetstar

Pushing a cabin trolley and handing out bright orange sunglasses :) #flyingwithpride #jetstar #Midsumma #pridemarch #melbourne #37degreeheat

Time certainly does fly when you're having this much fun :) Happy anniversary, @nadianiaz! #14yearsandcounting

A watchful Maggie waits as we park the car and unlock the security gate - at which points she runs to the front door and whines till we open it :) #welcomehome #imissedyou #wherehaveyoubeenallthistime

February 2018

Melbourne

That's a LOT of cream (kreme?) being delivered fresh daily to the @7elevenaus on Somerville Road in Yarraville! #Melbourne

Late morning at North Melbourne station. #passingthrough

Tuesday morning views of Etihad Stadium and Docklands, #Melbourne

All set for this year's #mbsreunion - love the new Hub events space! @melbournebschool

Door in the Curtin House building on Swanston Street in Melbourne. #performancevenue

Saturday morning at @rmituniversity for @measurecampmel #measurecampmelbourne

Laying the ground rules for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour at @measurecampmel #measurecamp

Saturday afternoon at Flinders Street Station #melbourne

Lovely to meet @doctorow and his daughter Poesy (who took this photo!) at the @wheelercentre this evening. Have a fabulous time in Oz!

Tea and fried chicken - what more could you want from life on a chilly Wednesday evening in #Melbourne?

Overcast night at Flinders Street Station in #Melbourne

March 2018

Melbourne

Chugging slowly by West Footscray Railway Station #latergram #trainstagram

Practicing basic #copperplate ovals at a fantastic beginners #calligraphy class run by @moyagraphy yesterday. Highly recommended! - with @nadianiaz

Summer in #Melbourne most definitely requires rain gear :)

Love the colour-sorted bookshelves, comfy couches, and all the coworking spaces at the Cowork Collective on Lygon Street. Good place for working, workshops, and training.

The snuggle is real! - with @nadianiaz #rescuedog #redheeler

Dis ma hoomin - with @nadianiaz #possessive #protective #herdingdog #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Summer is definitely on it's way out in Melbourne #sweatermornings #dressedforwork - with @nadianiaz

Parliament Station, giving you the side-eye. #Melbourne #signage #typography

April 2018

Melbourne

Super excited to be back at @melbournebschool to take a couple of elective courses in data analytics #lifelonglearning #alumnibenefits #worldclass @melbbschool @unimelb

Love the atrium at #HighPointSC in #maribyrnong #naturallight #foodcourt

Posing for a photo with @omarpervaiz after performing at the @banyulecouncil Kids ArtyFarty Fest last month. How's that's for a #superlatergram :)

Prof at @melbournebschool: Now use XLMiner to partition your data into training and validation data so you can check the predictive strength of your model. Me: *twiddles thumbs*

May 2018

Melbourne

Hanging out at West Footscray station because all trains are suspended while police investigate a suspicious package found at North Melbourne station. Not your typical morning commute.

All quiet on the William Cooper footbridge across #Footscray Station last night. #rarelyempty @cityofmaribyrnong

Nappin' on the sofa, snuggled up to mah hoomin (who happens to be wearing very black pants). #cinnamonscroll #earsup #rescuedog #australiancattledog #redheeler

Boiled eggs on toast, with a hot drink (in this case chai with Manuka honey) is my go-to lunch for when I have a cold and am feeling miserable #workingfromhome

Someone isn't having the best of days on this cold and rainy morning in #Melbourne. #melbweather #hellowinter

Sitting on the veranda, watching the world go by. #saturdayafternoon #redheeler #australiancattledog #melbourne

Sunday post-dinner nap on the sofa #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Bus, full. Hor koi jaga naeen bus vich. #bilingualbus #worksinmultiplelanguages #melbourne #panjabi #punjabi

Late 70s sci-fi aesthetic between platforms 3 and 4 at Parliament Station in #Melbourne

Back alley to the Void #footscray #melbourne

June 2018

Melbourne

Celebrating the Queen's Birthday by doing data analytics using classification trees. I like my Business Analytics syndicate mates, though, so it's fun to be hanging out with them at @MelbBSchool today.

Post dinner nap on the hoomin. #latergtam #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Carlton alleyway on an overcast night in #melbourne

#saturdayafternoon puppy love - with @nadianiaz #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

You're home! Maggie waits (mostly) patiently for @nadianiaz to parallel park the car. #alert #readytojumpup #readytolick #tailonpause #redheeler #australiancattledog

...And you're off again. Maggie watches as @nadianiaz heads off to a workshop at @footscrayarts. Fortunately Mags and I went for a walk right after this so she didn't stay sad for too long :) #redheeler #australiancattledog

Friday afternoon at @suntheatre. #takingiteasy

Sunset from my new, 23rd floor office in Docklands brings my first day as Digital and Social Media Manager at Transurban to a close. #newjob

The indoor views at Transurban are good, too - like this live video feed display wall in the visitor waiting area. #newjob #firstday

Foggy morning at the Yarraville Oval. Chilly, too: 4.9 degrees, feels like 2.0. #melbweather #melbwest

Unlocked Instagram photos 2: Jul 2017 to Dec 2017

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

July 2017

Melbourne, Sorrento

This Pacific National #NR75 engine was pulling possibly the longest freight train I've ever seen! #TheGhan

I must check out the garden / nice garden! #weekendinsorrento

Only upside of being sick in bed is having a dog lying across your legs :) #slept10hours

Sleepin' on mah hoomin #sofatime #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

So many loud people are doing me a slight concern but I am also ready for all the extra treat opportunities! #rescuedog

So I should just sit here while you nap? Yup. Sure? Pawsitive. #redheeler #rescuedog

Saturday afternoon at Southern Cross Station #Melbourne

August 2017

Melbourne

Foggy morning at Yarraville Station #melbweather #Melbourne @metrotrains

That Henry Wong - always makes a spectacle. All the better to Read Kelly with, though. #footscray

Firies to the rescue #electricalfire @JemenaLtd

Saturday afternoons, amirite? #dogsofinstgram #redheeler #rescuedog

Saturday night closing time at @villagecantina in Yarraville #latergram

Saturday night at Yarraville railway station @cityofmaribyrnong #latergram

September 2017

Melbourne

Workstation 🎈🎈🎈 for my birthday earlier this week :) #lovemyteam #latergram

OMG skybridge! #niece #newexperience #5yearsold #melbourne #latergram

Wednesday evening commute from the quiet side of Southern Cross Station in #Melbourne

Wednesday evening commute - now from the busy side of Southern Cross Station in #Melbourne :)

"Maggie!" "Yes?"

#thatfacetho

"Must focus on the vet. The vet has treats!" #pulledmuscle #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog

Good way to remind people about RUOK? Day :) #mentalhealth #workplace #afternoontea

Happy sundog enjoying the sun while it lasts #showerspredicted #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog #melbourne

A concerned Maggie kept an eye on me while I was home sick most of the week. #knackerednow #redheeler #australiancattledog #rescuedog #dogsofinstgram

October 2017

Melbourne, Dubai, Karachi

'I brake for bookstores' #bumpersticker #Yarraville #melbwest

Fabulous Saturday night dinner with @nadianiaz thanks to @maple_leaf_meats :) #Yarraville #foodtruck #latergram

Heading in to the city on a glorious Wednesday morning with @metromelbourne #melbourne #latergram

Lazy Saturday morning head scritches #getoutofbedalready #timeformywalk #redheeler #rescuedog #australiancattledog #latergram

Study spaces at Melbourne Uni Arts West #empty #fridaynight #outpartying

Quiet log time #saturdaynight #melbourne (with @nadianiaz)

Gorgeous day in #melbourne today! #spring #yarratrams #poleslinedup #collingwood

Big breakfast burger at @dubaiairports T3 with @nadianiaz :) #holidaynoms

Ready to continue our journey after a relaxing stop at @dubaiairports with @nadianiaz #Boeing #777

All dolled-up for my flight :) #airportselfie #dubai

#selfiewithdad

Wall of masks at @ashbedar's place (this is maybe a quarter of the whole collection).

Hung out all afternoon with middle niece who loves bright, sparkly shoes. I like flip-flops. #stillgetalongjustfine

Wall of masks at my younger sister's place. We do love our wall of masks in this family :)

Today Middle Niece and I built a fort out of a minion blanket. Twice. #toddlergoals

Lazy Sunday morning pool time thanks to @ibaadlari and @malihazialari :)

#siblingsunited, with @malihazialari and @ashbedar - photo by @ibaadlari

Hotel window hawk at the #Karachi Marriott - with Frere Hall in the background.

Part of the wall of masks at my middle sister's place. #trifecta

Hello, Rufus! It's been two years since I've seen you. #stillgoofy #blurrytail #happydog #gettingolder

#allthefruit

November 2017

Karachi, Islamabad, Melbourne

🎵 We're going to Groceland, Groceland / Memphis, Tennessee - well, in this case Islamabad, Pakistan :)

You know you're in Islamabad when...

Always BE A NINE on price, never BE A TEN :) #thegoodguys #highpoint

Napping peacefully while @nadianiaz unpacks a suitcase from our overseas holiday #happydog #togetheragain #latergram

Say #YES to #marriageequality cake :) Thank you @anna__thomson for the cake and sprinkles!

Regularly scheduled post-dinner snoozles on the sofa (usually resting her head on my leg or @nadianiaz's) while the hoomins watch TV.

Enhanced passenger information screen trial by @yarratrams #loveit #superuseful http://www.yarratrams.com.au/media-centre/news/articles/2017/enhanced-passenger-information-screens-trial-on-c-class-trams/

West Gate bridge from #Docklands yesterday evening #sunset #melbourne

Sunset building blues at #Docklands #Melbourne #latergram

Sunset behind me, storm brewing in front of me on La Trobe Street #Docklands #Melbourne #latergram

Trains rolling in and out of Southern Cross Railway Station on a storm Friday evening in #Melbourne #latergram

Afternoon snoozles on the hoomin's leg. Made easier by the light breeze and steady, muted droning of the pedestal fan. #lazysunday #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Thursday night at Parliament Station. #craigieburntrain #metro #melbourne

Right to left: CraigieBURN, SUNbury, MELTon. #australia #sunburntland indeed :)

Late night deliveries at #Footscray Market, @cityofmaribyrnong #11pm #marketnightlife

December 2017

Melbourne

Dramatic skies in #melbourne yesterday evening :) #melbweather #melbournestorm

Road trip! (@nadianiaz is driving)

There is no @nadianiaz, only treat pouch #ghostbusters #onlyzuul

Treat achieved! - with @nadianiaz

Exploring the dog run at Kepala Pet Resort - with @nadianiaz

All sorts of activities on offer at the Kepala Pet Resort.

Afternoon snoozles after a day of running around at Kepala Pet Resort :)

Finally! It took a few weeks of searching but @nadianiaz finally found the 'soft pillows for tummy sleepers' she was after :)

The snuggle is real! - with @nadianiaz

Waiting for the city loop train on platform 1 at #Footscray Station on a Thursday morning in #Melbourne.

Post-dinner snoozles blep.

Before today's thunderstorms #silverlining #clouds #melbourne

Hanging out with @grovermcbane at Claire Garth's book signing for 'Grover McBane Rescue Dog' - with @nadianiaz #bonusdogscritches

Post dinner snoozles, snuggled up with @nadianiaz #foldedpaws #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Hmmmm. Smells purple. #stoppingtosmelltheflowers #morningwalk #redheeler #rescuedog

The best post-dinner snoozles are the ones in which you're leanin' on your hoomin. #fastasleep #snoringlightly #redheeler #rescuedog

Lazy Saturday with the hoomin. #shouldertosleepon

Happy Maggie-versary to me and @nadianiaz! What an awesome year we've had with Maggie in our lives :) #rescuedog #redheeler #australiancattledog

Unlocked Instagram photos 1: Dec 2016 to Jun 2017

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

December 2016

Sydney, Melbourne, Freemantle

Before and after sunset at the #Sydney Opera House #twoweekoldphotos

Underpass in Richmond

Painting the alleyways of Richmond red. And orange. A little white. Mostly yellow, though.

Hello Fremantle!

Fremantle Ports - keeping an eye on things

Ovation of the Seas - looking a little less huge when viewed from far away! #cruiseship

High Street - Fremantle style

Street sign typography - Fremantle style #CenturyBold #557pt

Grilled Spanish mackerel burger from a place called Sweetlips - 10/10 would recommend #beachsidelunch #holidaylunch

Retro travel posters at the Chart and Map Shop

Today was beach and book day :) #holiday #Fremantle

Whaling tunnel under Round House in Fremantle

Today is museum day :)

Checking out the exhibits at the Fremantle Maritime Museum

Lighthouse light on display

Yes, that's a submarine outside the museum (HMAS Ovens). I didn't take the tour myself but I hear it's good.

Today was market day :)

Beach day II - This time with @NadiaNiaz because she's done with her 3-day conference. #Fremantle

The joys of living in #Melbourne - PAK v AUS Boxing Day test at the MCG :)

January 2017

Melbourne

Little Free Library in a fence down the street on Somerville Road in Yarraville :) #MelbWest

I love the long, strep escalators at Parliament Station! (Unless they were out of order, of course!) #Melbourne

Now that we've moved to #Yarraville trains are once again part of my daily commute! :)

Oddly specific bumper sticker. Also, for the record, coriander is *awesome*.

Today I caught a train to work from West Footscray station. I love having so many commuting options :)

Watching Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi at the Australian Open :) #pakistanrepresent

Annual Australian Open selfie with @nadianiaz :)

February 2017

Melbourne

Yesterday was our first annual cheese day at work. I think we did a good job :) #ilovemyteam #latergram

My daily commute in #Melbourne is a public transport trifecta :) @yarratrams @metrotrains @transdev_melb

<insert witty '404 bus missing' pun> #html #webgeek

Pie and latte FTW!

Be alert. The world needs more lerts. #dogsofinstgram

Saturday night on Platform 4

Yes, that's the moon nicely framed between the clouds :)

"Explore the world of Melbourne by bus" @ptv_official #railwaystationstairs #footscray #melbwest

Welcome to FOOTSCRA Y :) #design #wall #railwaystation

Sunday lunch at Yarraville Gardens :) #foodtruck #Melbourne

Head scritches are the best scritches :) #dognap #sofatime

Attentive but patient dog is attentive, but patient :) #dogsofinstgram

"Yes? I'm all ears." - Maggie Underfoot

Guarding her herd.

OMG those ears!

Focus

"You scritch my head. I like you." - Maggie Underfoot

Wednesday night at Southern Cross station #latergram

March 2017

Melbourne, Avalon

Relaxed sundog #Melbourne

Woohoo! @nadianiaz checking out one of her favourite aircraft, the C130 Hercules, at #Airshow2017 :)

Hello Avalon Airport! #Airshow2017

Aerobatics at the Avalon #Airshow2017 :)

Props to the turboprops! #Airshow2017 #Pilatus #PC12

Stratotanker in the house! Well, on the tarmac. #Airshow2017 #Boeing #KC135R #USAF

Selfie with @nadianiaz and a Globemaster! #Boeing #C17 #RAAF

Hello Antonov! :) #Airshow2017

ZOMG! This is such an awesome aircraft! #Antonov #AH124 #Ruslan #Airshow2017

Yes, the Antonov isn't the most elegant looking. #stillawesomethough #Airshow2017

Hello, Connie! @Qantas #Lockheed #SuperConstellation #Airshow2017

Who wants a grey C-130 when you can get these in black?! #Lockheed #C130 #RSAF

In the cargo hold of the C-130 :) #Lockheed #Airshow2017

Jump seat selfie in the C-130 with @nadianiaz and @johnboydavidson :) #Airshow2017

Huge crowd watching the flying display at #Airshow2017 :)

Thus ended our #Airshow2017. Awesome work by @AvalonAirportAU, @AirservicesNews and others. 10/10 would recommend.

April 2017

Melbourne

Yo! 'sup?

Cuddles on the couch with @NadiaNiaz :)

Three white trucks walk into a bar (ie drive into a service station).

Maggie takes her perimeter watch duties very seriously.

Focus.

Long walk -> afternoon nap :)

Sunday morning dramatic skies in #Yarraville #Melbourne

Monday morning walkies with @nadianiaz!

From curious/concerned to unimpressed in an instant :) #attagirl #redheeler

Standoff at Austin Crescent :)

After a long walk on a warm, humid day with me and @nadianiaz :)

May 2017

Melbourne

Quiet early morning train station #Yarraville #0636am

Working our way through the new @Nutella filled and dipped @KrispyKremeAustralia doughnuts at work this morning :)

My new glasses (right) may make me look a little older (and maybe wiser?) but at least they're on trend :)

Saturday afternoons, amirite? #afteralongwalk #redheeler #dogsofinstgram

Sunday morning walk and exploration #smellallthethings #redheeler

Blue sweater Fridays with @nadianiaz :) #latergram

Post-walk scritches and nap :)

Wait...whuuut?

These are possibly my favourite cafe tables :) @happymaree #Yarraville

June 2017

Melbourne, Sorrento

When you're sick at home and can't look at a screen for more than 30 minutes at least you can still snuggle the dog and take nap.

Feeling sick isn't a prerequisite for wanting to snuggle the dog and take a nap; you can just be super tired like @nadianiaz

Maggie can sleep comfortably at all angles :) #impressed #jealous #latergram

Walk this way! #frug #lean

More like "Being Built." tbh :)

Post walk nap #lazysaturday #earstillup #redheeler

Watchful grotesques are watchful #Carlton #Melbourne

But who will watch the watchers? #redheeler

Winter Saturday hot chocolate at @happymaree :)

🎵 Feed the birds / tuppens a bag

'Nights of knee' - featuring @nadianiaz

This is MY house now! #weekendinsorrento #attitude #redheeler #australiancattledog #heelergram

My lost years on Instagram

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

I’m not a fan of tightly gated internet communities. By ‘tightly gated’ I mean communities (ie social networks) that don’t provide public RSS feeds and also don’t let you view anyone’s content without being logged in yourself.

Instagram is one such gated community.

All my photos used to be publicly accessible

Before 2007 I didn’t publicly share many photos online. Those that I did, I uploaded as albums to this website – like my engagement and wedding photos.

Then in 2007 I joined Flickr and started posting all my photos there. Flickr was an excellent site, and I even had a paid account for several years.

Instagram launched its Android app in April 2012, so a few months later I started posting photos there as well. During this period I cross-posted all my photos to both Instagram and Flickr.

Flickr stagnated, Instagram innovated

Unfortunately, Yahoo! pretty much stopped investing in Flickr. So, while Instagram was becoming increasingly easier and more fun to use, Flickr stayed where it was.

That’s why from 2017 I stopped cross-posting, and instead posted all my photos to Instagram only.

Facebook locked down Instagram

In the earlier days of Instagram you could still browse someone’s profile and look through all their photos without needing an Instagram account yourself. But, over time, Facebook made Instagram an increasingly tighter gated community.

Recognising this was happening, from the start of 2019 I started cross posting all my photos to this blog. That’s where we are now.

Diagram showing four timelines. Three of these are light grey in colour and are labeled ‘Flickr’ (2 Mar 2007 to 7 May 2017), ‘Instagram’ (8 Nov 2012 to 9 Apr 2019), and ‘Random tangent blog’ (1 Jan 2019 to now). One is orange in colour and is labeled ‘Instagram only’ (2017-2019).

Unlocking two years of ‘lost’ photos

What all this means is that I have almost two years’ worth of photos locked inside Instagram’s walled garden. This is what I’m now here to fix.

Over the next four posts I’ll re-share all my Instagram photos from 2017 and 2018 that are currently only available on that platform.

Here goes…

Moving a car workshop

Ameel Khan September 18, 2022

At first I thought this was someone was getting a classic car delivered to them. Then I realised it’s somebody moving their entire workshop because this truck was followed by at least seven others, all carrying cars in various states of repair.

Photo of a beautifully restored 1960s era classic car in pale yellow on the back of a towing truck that’s driving down a residential street.

Food court, 4pm

Ameel Khan September 13, 2022

I love a good liminal space, and I walked by one my way home from work today.

Overhead photo of a mostly empty corner of a food court. There are empty tables and chairs neatly lined up, with only one person sitting and eating and a couple of others walking by.

Also this café, that’s now closed till breakfast.

Photo of a food court café named Lily Li that’s closed for the day. The lights have been turned off and all the chairs have been placed upside down on the tables.

Tu chal, mein aaya

Ameel Khan September 2, 2022

Shout out to Nadia for getting me this happy mug for my recent birthday and to Sophie Hurst for the lovely design!

Music discovery mode

Music listening mode

July 2018

August 2018

September 2018

October 2018

November 2018

December 2018

January 2018

February 2018

March 2018

April 2018

May 2018

June 2018

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

April 2017

May 2017

June 2017

All my photos used to be publicly accessible

Flickr stagnated, Instagram innovated

Facebook locked down Instagram

Unlocking two years of ‘lost’ photos

Insanity Works

Nadia & Ameel's online home