as if $55 m could buy a jarrah forest!

Ben Saul, Challis Chair of Law at Sydney University and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism says, NSW is one of “the most draconian anti-protest jurisdictions in the democratic world”. open.substack.com/pub/newpolit...

The Celebrate Women 2026 campaign is just around the corner! 🎉 Celebrate Women runs from 1–31 March in celebration of International Women’s Day, tracking events during March which create opportunities to grow content about women and non-binary people on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects.

Really helpful report here from Academi Heddwch Cymru (Wales' first 'peace institute') about last year's Strategic Defence Review and what this means for #Wales. Headlines: many policies sit uncomfortably with Welsh gov't commitments to peace... www.wcia.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Canberra's very own Jurassic Park moment

There aren't many mushrooms about this time of year in England but I spotted this Psathyrella type thing on the weekend #MushroomMonday #FungiFriends

Jon Kudelka on cartooning: “We’re not careful. That’s what editors are for – they make us careful." Cartooning is the “rickety shed at the back of the fourth estate”. Lindsay Foyle johnmenadue.com/post/2026/02...

“If we don’t fight now to protect our basic civil liberties, the beatings will continue until social cohesion improves,” writes Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director of The Australia Institute. Read more: https://theaus.in/4aiOEBI

Aust's warmongering ALP wing of the Duopoly runs the state against its own pple who they exploit in favour of themselves+the US, transferring billions of Aust taxpayers' money to the US MIAC ensuring the pple get poorer and poorer and inc the danger of nuclear war www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The AUKUS agreement has now been in place for 4 years. During that time both the US & UK have undertaken reviews of its progress. With the Albanese govt now admitting its South Australian submarine base will cost at least $30bn, it's well past time Australia undertook its own AUKUS review.

On December 17, after a one-off $233 million budget boost, CSIRO chief executive Dr Doug Hilton wrote to all staff, saying the new money wasn’t nearly enough and staffing would need to be reduced by an estimated 300-350 FTE. satpa.pe/RJJjR9y

Warming temperatures are forcing Antarctic penguins to breed earlier and that's a big problem for two of the cute tuxedoed species that face extinction by the end of the century, a study said. https://to.pbs.org/49Jiy0m

youtu.be/ng4imR2cWcw?... One of the black with white spotted quolls eating apple.

domestic impoverishment c/- Albo government.

“The time for action is now. The ongoing delays torment those who are losing their jobs, livelihoods or simply remaining silent due to a lack of protection and support. When whistleblowers don’t speak up, everyone suffers." Read the full article: https://theaus.in/4bYxw5y

Exports from an oil field off WA's Pilbara are at a standstill after an oil spill in December. The regulator says it has identified "systemic failures" at the Canadian-owned Wandoo facility.

Pretty much everything Angus Taylor rejects is bound to be a good idea! This is. Tks @frankjotzo.bsky.social #afr #emissions #auspol www.afr.com/policy/energ...

Franzi Schimmer captured this Grizzly bear in Brooks Falls, Alaska just floating along, tippy-tapping down the river, browsing the salmon. Prior to hibernation, up to 40% of a bear's body mass is fat, which is less dense than water (~0.9 g/cm^2), so the murder-monster is also a floaty-boaty.

just wonderful sight! grizzly bear at leisure.

‘support independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe.’ www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

This week’s cartoon, by Oslo Davis: satpa.pe/5LkdxAc

expecting this to be SO good, after Pearlstein's excellent posts on Blue Sky early 2025 on executive orders.

@barackobama.bsky.social: "When I was POTUS, I suppose I could have simply unilaterally ordered the military to go into some red state and harass and intimidate a governor or cut off funding for states that didn't vote for me... but that is contrary to how I think our democracy is supposed to work."

I think the CSIRO story is critically important too. Seems we are following the US down the drain, attacking science and health. The Govt is starving CSIRO of funds and their management is cutting Health and Biosecurity by 1/3 and Environment by over 1/5.

guess it's time to join ACF, such wise commentary from Adam Bandt about WA power while working with Chris Bowen.

How dare they try to patronise powerful and principled women like this while they obsessively attack their every utterance. This paper is a disgrace.

John Menadue speaks to truth. johnmenadue.com/post/2026/02....

signed! your turn to rein in Minns, authoritarian Premier NSW.

The U.S. is having the worst measles outbreak in 30 years. Mass stupidity, unbridled ignorance, and RFK Jr.— an anti-vaxx caveman— have left us with a nation eager to infect its kids with medieval diseases. One more reason to vote straight blue in November. apple.news/ACwhn5gU8RES...

I am 3d modelling catchment of a river in the mountains of Pacific North-West, how is your saturday going?🧪🪰

also reviewed in Times Literary Supplement Dec 2025... probably more critical, FYI. Decided on that reading ok to languish.

I think there’s something in that for all of us, don’t you? #auspol

"Our focus is on reducing women in the House of Reps, but we're on track also reduce our female vote to zero too." chaser.com.au/national/ang...

Here is my cartoon about Mr Jon Kudelka www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Lovely irony "aged care" with news of less care, by no longer monitoring.

3. Guy who, he says, did not attempt to intervene regarding a federal environmental order to rehabilitate critically endangered native grasslands poisoned with herbicide on a property he and his brother own.

2. Guy who co-founded and helped manage a speculative company that later (in 2017) received $80 million from taxpayers, paid into its Caymans account, for surprisingly expensive, low security cotton water rights attached to properties it owned near St George. He denies any involvement.

Another apt sign. Herzog isn’t welcome. #Auspol

"Luckily the police seemed more than excited to step in and get as violent as needed to make sure he doesn't feel homesick" - Premier Minns chaser.com.au/national/nsw...

A column today: China and India reduced coal power last year. Is now the time Australia can tackle its big polluters by making them pay? (With some arguments in between these two issues.)

As I say here, there is no scientific justification to revoke the engagement finding. In fact, over the last 15+ yrs, the evidence of how climate change affects our health has only grown. Higher risk of allergies, dementia, fertility, heart disease, and death: that’s what’s on the line. @nature.org

🚨The pro-Israel lobby is fighting to “outlaw protest" and "constrain free speech” to "silence criticism of Israel", says prominent Jewish leader. Louise Adler says nation's freedoms are under attack by the "propagandists" and the public must fight back... theklaxon.com.au/whg5

If the cap fits. My @smh @theage cartoon.

I am abruptly reminded of -

#Auspol #Australia

Chalmers watered down Carney's urgency in his paraphrase for his cabinet colleagues. Next PM?

And in Australia! Never feel guilt because you borrow our books from the library rather than buying them. We love it!

NEW: A Mossad-linked Israeli lawfare organization is trying to shut down The Maple and get criminal charges laid against me. Read, share and let Israelis know that they don’t get to decide what Canadian journalism looks like. www.readthemaple.com/a-mossad-lin...