2025-06-29 20:02:59
I am one of those people who rarely buy clothes. Yes, those people exist. I have been one of those people for over a decade. Most, if not all, my clothes are purchased by my dear wife. She is exceptional and she tells me, she buys new clothes for me because she wants me to look good. I often wonder, how terrible do I look for her to spend her hard on money on clothes to make me look good? In over 10 years of marriage, I have not had the courage to ask her. Obviously, there isn't an answer to that question that will make me happy. Plus, if she stops buying clothes for me than who will. No, seriously, who will?
Anyway, long story short, my only requirement is that I do not wear expensive clothes. To put it into perspective, about 7 years, I bought pyjamas from Kmart for AUD19.99. Until recently, I wore those few times a week. Some buttons have fallen off, sleeves are a little torn but for night clothes, it does the job.
Image my shock when my wife bought me a pyjamas set from Peter Alexander. This place only sells clothes one wears in their bedroom and they are expensive, like super expensive. The price tag was still on. It was AUD129.99. WOW 🤯
I was super pissed but at the same time, the pyjamas were so soft and comforting. I put it on and it fit me like a glove. Well, not actually like glove, it was lose fit but just right. Within minutes I was feeling less angry about the cost of the pyjamas.
I look at my wife and said, please please tell me you didn't pay full price. She lovingly smiled back at me and said: What do you think?
I said, that is exactly why I married you, amongst many other reasons.
OK, tell me how much you paid. She said AUD50, not including shipping. It still is significantly more than what I would have paid. That is not actually true because after wearing it for the entire night, the very next morning, I was on the Peter Alexander website attempting to order another pyjama set. To my disappointment, it was sold out.
Bottom line, sometimes, treating oneself to something a bit more expensive can be great (obviously, it needs to be worth it. Don't buy it because its branded, buy it because its good). However, it is even more great if the wife pays. I am a lucky man.
2025-06-24 19:21:26
I have been experimenting with Vivaldi on Android lately. It has a lot going on for itself, and I like the vibe and ethos of the people behind Vivaldi. Being Europe centric is icing on the cake.
The default browser on Android is Chrome and unfortunately, it does not have extension support and certainly no ad blocking capability.
Thankfully, Vivaldi has built in ad blocking support and it's pretty decent too. Many moons ago, I switched to Kagi as my default search engine. As it seems to be the case more and more with Vivaldi, things that seem simple to me require a lot of messing around to get it right on Vivaldi.
To add Kagi as your default search engine on Vivaldi Android, you need the following:
Once you have the above setup, go to settings on Vivaldi desktop and click on Search, and click on the plus button as shown below:
Add Kagi Search with the followings fields (as shown above):
Name: Kagi
Nickname: k (of your own choosing)
URL: https://kagi.com/search?q=%s
Suggust URL: https://kagi.com/api/autosuggest?q=%s
Ensure you select the option to Set as Default Search.
From this point onwards, the default search engine on Vivaldi on Desktop should be Kagi. If you have enabled Sync, Kagi will also be available as a Search Engine on Vivaldi on Android.
On Vivaldi Android, go to Settings and click on Search Engine, tap on Standard Tab and select Kagi as your search engine. There you go. Smooth sailing from this on onward. Hello, to the Kagi experience.
Screenshots of the Vivaldi Android app on Pixel 9 Pro Fold
2025-06-22 02:34:18
When I started Mere Civilian in 2020 (five years ago), I always treated it as my humble home on the internet and that has not changed thus far.
Personally, I think it is intriguing to a read a stranger's blog whom I know nothing about. Most of the time, we read blog posts or are following people on the socials because they are famous, rich or created products and services that we use and enjoy. However, there are some blogs that I follow because they are interesting. I hope my blog is interesting to you, because I am neither rich nor famous and not a creative either ☹️. Lives of mere civilians are interesting as well.
Mere Civilian
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
I am officially launching a membership program because I am curious if people will give money to a stranger, a nobody on the internet. I do not need the money and that's not because I am rich. Mostly certainly not. I don't own a home; I pay rent monthly, and my only asset valued over $10,000 is my Mazda 3, which I bought over ten years ago.
More MereCivilian is a straight forward membership. You pay USD15 a year and get access into a life of a mere civilian. Every dollar you pay gets donated to my favourite charities. The only benefit I get is I will claim a tax deduction for these donations.
My favourite charities are:
If you are not in a position to pay, I humbly request you to reach out to me and I will provide a complimentary membership.
In simple terms, because I want my writing to make a difference. I hope that aligning my blog to do good (charity donations) will motivate me to write more and make be feel that my blog matters; it is helping people.
This blog was never about views. I have always written first and foremost for myself.
That is my pitch. I got nothing else. Hopefully, you can be the force behind Mere Civilian.
2025-06-18 19:37:38
Elephant is a 3D documentary which releases this Friday. Luckily, my wife is a IMAX Melbourne Big Leaque member and as such we were provided with an opportunity to watch it today for free 😊.
Check out the trailer:
This is a short 45 minute documentary but it such a beautiful story, wonderfully executed. The 3D elements were organic and my son was amazed by the elephants coming towards him. The smile and glow on his face was priceless.
The music was also on point and the director kept me engaged throughout, making me part of the elephant's journey.
Elephants are my favourite animal. There is something so majestic about them, so I am probably biassed here. A significant part of this documentary is about the wonderful bond between a baby elephant and her mother. That bond is super strong and I was emotional just thinking about it.
Naomi Watts solely narrated the entire documentary. She has done a magnificent job. Her voice was authentic.
I recommend watching it.
IMAX is probably the best place to see it. I cannot believe how life like a documentary can become on the largest screen on this planet.
Last, did I mention IMAX Melbourne provided free wine and ice cream?
All in all, a fantastic Wednesday evening
2025-06-13 20:56:13
It was not until my mid-thirties until I was interested in getting a real camera. I'm still not sure whether it was peer pressure or the hype during COVID that got me interested in the Fuji x100. I vividly remember the first time I held the camera with my hand and took my first snap. It felt like a completely unique experience and as if I've never taken a photo before.
Feb 2024: I pre-ordered the camera as soon as it was announced and was one of the first ones to get it in Australia.
It was expensive, possibly overpriced. The camera was in high demand. I'm surprised Fujifilm didn't charge more.
And by May 2024 I had already sold the camera. I had unplanned expenses that came up and it was prudent for me to sell the camera than partially liquidate my investments. It was a matter of principle. You can read about it here:
Time went by..... and before I knew it, the X100VI was a distant memory. One thing my dad says, if you cannot get what you want, than you should learn to live without and that is exactly what I did.
The X100VI's one-year anniversary filled my YouTube feed with reviews. Many praised the popular camera, which remains in short supply.
I got sucked into the hype.
I bought a used one on eBay for AUD2300. The price seemed too good to be true. I doubted the order would be fulfilled. However, miracles happen and I was a proud owner of a Fuji X100vi in black. My first one was in silver. Both colours have their appeal.
Everything the reviewers say about this camera is true. It's pocketable, feature packed and the Fujifilm film simulations set this camera apart from its counterparts. In addition, the Fujifilm community is vast and very dedicated to the brand.
However, most reviewers who review this camera and those who buy it are photographers. Rarely have I seen a review from someone who was not into photography or from people who have previously only use mobiles for photography. The point is, people who buy this camera already have experience with a real camera.
A real camera gives you more control and with a bigger sensor, it gives you more freedom from a creativity perspective. All this is true.
However, this time around, I just found the X100VI cumbersome and created unnecessary friction.
The following are conveniences that a mobile camera provides that a real camera doesn't:
Photography enthusiasts value the control a real camera offers. They enjoy holding the camera and the entire photographic process, from shooting to editing.
I am not one of those people. I take pictures to document my life. Making so many decisions before taking the photo was feeling like a chore. It is shocking to me I didn't feel like this when I initially purchased the X100VI back in 2024. Perhaps, I was still riding the hype train.
However, when it had been weeks since my last use and I didn't even care enough to transfer the pictures from the camera to computer, I knew, this wasn't for me.
Basically, I like the idea of having a real camera. I also like the idea of taking pictures with a real camera but I dislike the practicalities of having a real camera.
Mobile cameras are just so good these days and they are so convenient to use. I can give my phone to anyone and most times, they will capture a reasonable image. However, when you give a person a real camera, they are lost. Believe me, I have tried this on multiple occasions. Perhaps I am just terrible at selecting people to take photos of my family and I.
I sold the camera for $2600 and made a $300 profit. That felt good 💵💵💵
This wasn't a pointless exercise. I got to be a person who carried a real camera, admittedly, for a short period. That was good.
I gave it a go, and it wasn't for me. I rather try something than wonder what it would be like using a real camera. Now, I know and its not for me.
2025-06-07 15:19:59
It is no secret that Apple made products work best with other Apple made products. It is also no secret that Apple products are 2nd class citizens on Windows and Android.
However, where Apple falls short, developers step in fill in the void. MagicPods attempts to bring most Apple exclusive features to Windows with UI and design to match.
MagicPods
MagicPods also happens to be on sale right now for AUD1.47. Go grab it now. Even at full price of AUD3, it still is a bargain 💰. It is the first app I purchased from the Windows App Store.
Note, some features require installation of an unsigned driver, which I have not done. I have not found a need to do so for my use case. For details, click here. My use case is rather basic for that. It works well. For example, ear detection works well as it is for me, but if I had installed this driver, I would get enhanced ear detection.
