This by Louise Adler is quite excellent www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Here's @instanterudite.bsky.social . "Why is a Labor Premier silencing a writer?" (In case you're only familiar with her work on The Shot, Jo used to run the AWW.)

This should be more obvious to everyone, but we cannot let the people comfortable with the mass slaughter of children further shape our culture, our democracies, our future as a species. It's the path to a depraved fascistic hellhole.

Here's to Cathy Wilcox and the power of a pen!

interesting! The folks who assign safety ratings for cars are asking manufacturers to bring back tactile buttons for basic functions in cars, becausetouch screens are distracting. I talked about this in my adaconf keynote. I hope manufacturers take note! theconversation.com/yes-those-bi...?

Slightly diminish a band: ColdwaterHouse

Slightly diminish a band: eleven pm oil

Not one person has lost their job or been forced to apologise for supporting Israel’s genocide. You can support the mass murder of Muslims & you will never be in danger of losing your job in media or politics or the arts or business or education. Suggest Israel are wrong, & you will be targeted.

10 years til fusion, 10 years til AGI. Forever.

One hundred writers withdrawing from Adelaide Festival Writers Week is an important stand for free speech, and against the racist targeting of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. The question now is not so much who else will join the boycott. But who remains? And why? www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...

I hope Dr Abdel-Fattah sues his arse to hell. It’s utterly disgusting how she has been defamed directly by Malinauskas and indirectly, mealy mouthedly by the AWW. Social cohesion is being attacked by those who profess to protect it

It’s going to be an interesting few weeks when the royal commission examines, as I suspect it will, the defraying of social cohesion caused by the organised censorship of writers, artists and employees across the country for daring to speak against an unfolding genocide

oh look. the murdochracy get what they want because the australian government is spineless. gosh. what a surprise.

Doors & windows closed: check blinds down: check birdbath filled & trays of water for wildlife: check vulnerable plants watered: check soaking wet from trying to debug the sprinkler: check ok, ready for 41 degrees celcius, Melbourne! 🫠

yes! bulk data delete from companies that hoard data about #california residents. https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/115844673369147748

One of my old friends (absolutely offline) was going through some scary stuff last year -- and I, helpless, live so far away. And so I asked what I could do to support her best. "When you see something that makes you think of me, text me."

🧵Spotted at a Summer Pottery Fair in Aotearoa New Zealand: A small human (5?) is carefully inspecting a display pet rocks. He first looks from one angle, then another, then another... frowning, forehead furrowed, air pensive, then looks up at Dad, asking: "What are the RULES for these?" (1)

🧵Spotted at a Country Summer Fete in Aotearoa New Zealand: A small human (5?) is strutting ahead of his sister announcing loudly to the universe: "I AM THE FRONT MAN!" Little Sister (3?) stops in her tracks. Little Sister looks OUTRAGED! Little Sister roars: "NO! I want to be the FRONT MAN!" (1)

For many years I lived in an apartment without aircon. My list of places I could go to escape the heat in metro Melbourne

Also from last night: the kitten got up to get a snack so Fiasco came in for a cuddle But then the kitten came BACK and just climbed aboard where she had been sitting His FACE

Anyone collaborating with us to make illegal content using the tools we created to make illegal content will face the same consequences as they would if they did it alone. We will also face the same consequences as if they did it alone: none.

I would like to live long enough to see our politicians show murdoch press the door. I'm 54. Don't like my odds!

The News Corp campaign for a royal commission is like pushing on a string - the other media just following their lead and Labor too cowed to push back. No rationale, no questions, no interrogation of the problems. The whole thing is genuinely stupid.

Luddites didn't hate technology. They only smashed machines that were being used to destroy workers' rights, ruin livelihoods, or that were dangerous to workers' health... something to think about, hey?

this is a fun tale with many tails...

Not surprising that Israel’s list of most “antisemitic” Australians is only a list of people against genocide and contains not one far-right/Nazi. 🫡 to those on the list

"Technology could serve life instead of serving capital." Ursula le Guin 1975

Hobbes break

Nuanced, sensitive and insightful, as always. This piece is well worth reading and sharing. Thank you, @timhollo.bsky.social. Here's to a kinder world in 2026, that doesn't avoid but embraces and navigates complex issues thoughtfully and compassionately. in-between-days.ghost.io/holding-comp...

2025 has been a shocker. Full of loss, pain, trauma, and rage. Happy to kick it to the curb. Here's to a 2026 full of love, laughter, and hugs. For all of us.

My New Year's resolution is to continue living more authentically offline, driving away poorly suited circles & attracting rad people with similar values and vibes. And to be wayyyyyy more annoying on the internet. Thanks for hanging this year. Thanks for your support. Fuck 2025

Here's me. "Weaponising the Bondi tragedy is a betrayal of all our children"

When you want to be petted but also to smack that hand interloping into your chill

Having to be constantly on alert for AI sludge is exhausting. If you wanted to invent a technology to suck the joy out of as many parts of life as possible you'd struggle to do better than this LLM shite.

A very noble guardian

If anyone needs a social scientist and UX researcher who specializes in AI, trust, and complex systems, I’m very available and ready to jump in. Currently looking for my next role. DM here or email drjuliecarpenter@gmail.

Sorry about the screaming, it turns out there was a guy under my desk and he reached out to pat my ankle as I went past I thought he was in the living room

cheers!

I am feeling petty, and my petty beef of the day is recipes with "only 3 ingredients!!" where one of the ingredients is a three course meal complete with a romantic violinist, or, worse, a packet mix with 74 ingredients. Just stop it, alright? You're being ridiculous.

I cannot grow basil to save my life! I swear we must live in some kind of basil based black hole!

There isn't a single problem "solved" by edtech that couldn't be fixed with smaller classes led by well-paid teachers given real academic freedom

Bought @scalzi.com's Lock In for my beloved. 28 pages in and my stoic engineer is already belly laughing. Can't wait for my turn to read it! a lucky find at Perth's excellent Stefen's Books. Why does Perth have so many amazing book shops???

🧵Spotted on the Market Day Before Christmas in Aotearoa New Zealand: A cheerful Pomeranian is rotating in a skipping circle below a hotdog being eaten by its human. Perpetual Motion Dog is generating more energy than it's consuming. If only science could harness this power for good! (1)

No literary agent who is going to get you a deal is going to charge you upfront. They make a percentage. That is how it works. If someone says otherwise or tries to "upsell" you, they are scammers.

The snoot. It is all christmassed out. #spudlet

who decided to call it Secret Santa when Nondisclosure Claus was right there

So I am going to say something about romance as a genre. A lot of people think that romance is ignorable because <insert thing they think about romance> and romance authors don't count because <insert thing they think about romance>. This thread is not about whether you have to like romance.

I call my cat. She comes running. And now you understand why correlation is not causation.

I find it incredibly difficult to write about my Jewishness. I didn't want to write this, but I did. We need to re-embrace complexity and nuance in thinking about and discussing the Jewish future.