The supermarket down on High Street has been branded as Woolworths for well over a decade now, but my mind still automatically says “Safeway” whenever I’m planning my grocery run. It’s fascinating how these old brand names stick in our collective consciousness, becoming part of our cultural DNA long after the signs have changed.

The other day, I overheard something that stopped me in my tracks - teenagers using the term “Safeway” despite never having set foot in one during its heyday. It’s like some kind of linguistic time capsule, passed down through generations of Victorians. These kids were probably born around the time the last Safeway signs were being taken down, yet here they are, carrying on this peculiar piece of Melbourne vernacular.

Remember those days when every house had a landline phone? The familiar ring echoing through the house, the satisfying click of picking up the handset, and that curly cord that would inevitably get tangled? While most of us have long abandoned traditional landlines in favor of our smartphones, there’s something fascinating about bringing this technology back with a modern twist.

Reading about someone’s recent DIY VoIP phone system project got me thinking about our increasing dependence on mobile phones. The setup they described - using FusionPBX and FreeSWITCH on Proxmox - sparked my inner geek’s interest. It’s precisely the kind of project that would keep me happily occupied during those scorching summer weekends when staying indoors with the air-con is the only sensible option.

Looking through my usual gaming forums today, I stumbled upon something that perfectly captures why indie game development continues to fascinate me. Someone created a skateboarding game where you perform tricks with… a mop. Yes, you read that right. A mop. And honestly? It’s brilliant.

The game, aptly titled “Mop Skater,” combines the mechanics of classic skateboarding games with the mundane reality of household cleaning. The creator even included a punk-rock soundtrack that instantly transported me back to the early 2000s, when Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater dominated gaming conversations at my first IT job.

The internet never fails to deliver a good laugh, and today’s gem involves a 60-year-old teddy bear that looks like it might have witnessed the fall of empires - or possibly caused them. The poor thing’s owner innocently asked for washing advice, and the responses were absolutely priceless, ranging from “holy water” to “flamethrower.”

Looking at this weathered old bear, with its slightly askew features and well-worn fabric, brought back memories of my own childhood teddy, Mr. Buttons, who thankfully looked more “loved” than “likely to steal your soul.” He’s still sitting in a box somewhere in my garage, probably wondering why he got replaced by an iPad.