Pete Johns - Blog entries of the highest uptodateness

Automating Distraction Blocking with Pi-hole v6 and dedistracter

Posted by Pete Johns on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 in technology

Automating Distraction Blocking with Pi-hole v6 and dedistracter

During the pandemic, when our home became a classroom and an office as well as all its usual functions, and we were all glued to computers to get stuff done, it became apparent that more than one member of the Johns Household could be easily distracted by the other things that always-on internet connectivity could afford.

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Can we reunite a lost AirPod with its owner?

Posted by Pete Johns on Tuesday, 20 January 2026 in technology

Can we reunite a lost AirPod with its owner?

Today I found a single right AirPod in the grass near a skate park where one of the kids was having fun. Between this little bud, the iPhone in my bag, and the worldwide Apple network, surely we should be able to get it back to its owner without compromising anyone’s privacy. Doing that would be good for the person who lost it and for the planet.

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Two Bays Trail Run 2026

Posted by Pete Johns on Thursday, 15 January 2026 in running

Two Bays Trail Run 2026

Two Bays Trail Run is my favourite annual running event. The 28km trail run from Dromana to Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula is just spectacular. The 56km from Cape Schanck to Cape Schanck via Dromana is… a little beyond me right now. Each time I participate, either as a runner or as a volunteer, I am more than impressed by the smoothness of the organisation and by the superb positive vibe that seems to fill the entire peninsula. It feels less like a race than you might imagine, and more like a day in the bush with your mates. Some of the views are breathtaking, and some of the steps, if you try to run up them, are also breathtaking. In a different way.

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Moving back to www

Posted by Pete Johns on Wednesday, 7 January 2026 in blog

Moving back to www

After years of hosting this site at the apex domain johnsy.com, I’m moving back to www.johnsy.com. Much earlier versions of this site lived at the www subdomain, so this is something of a homecoming. If you’ve bookmarked the site or have links pointing to the old URL, no need to worry; everything will redirect automatically.

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Counterpoints to “Comparison is the Thief of Joy”

Posted by Pete Johns on Saturday, 29 November 2025 in personal

Counterpoints to “Comparison is the Thief of Joy”

I’m not sure who first said “Comparison is the thief of joy” and it doesn’t really matter. It’s a pretty good adage. Often times friends of mine who run will seek to diminish their own achievements by comparing themselves with more accomplished, even elite, runners. And I will wheel out this quote for them because my running friends are all pretty awesome folks who smash their goals.

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Foretoken — parkrun finish tokens on your phone

Posted by Pete Johns on Thursday, 6 November 2025 in parkrun

Foretoken — parkrun finish tokens on your phone

Last year I was at a parkrun event that had 700 finish tokens and (it turned out) 694 finishers. Volunteers were frantically sorting finish tokens as I crossed the line, not knowing whether they’d have enough to get them through to the Tail Walker. Happily, I had a set of tokens in the boot of the car and lent them a batch (I may get them back someday).

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