I clicked on this without reading the title and watched on silent with subs thinking it was the USA, but then he mentioned jobseeker and I realised that this is happening in AUSTRALIA. An adequate tax on gas and pumped into social services would radically change the quality of life for so many...

Fondly remembering being about 10 years old and hearing my mother deploy the phrase "ugly as a hat full of bums" for the first time

Next diary entry: My wife and I did yet again spy that handsome wench in the tavern last eve and my wife whispered that she hath a look of mischief. We did contrive to have her join us and my wife said unto her we saw you across the bar and find your vibe pleasing...

Noticed this today:

My kid is currently really into pushing her baby doll around in a toy stroller. Which is very cute until a stranger asks what her baby's name is and we tell them it's 'Bongus'.

Today I learned about 'mallardisation' - the transformation of every type of duck into a Mallard. Because mallards will mate with anyone, apparently. 🦆

👀 jobs.anu.edu.au/jobs/researc...

Panangsky

Haha yes eat shit Colesworths www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05...

Just got sent this handy explainer to tonight's budget, so sharing in case anyone else needs it

My mother: ...that Joan Baez biopic kept jumping around you know she had a lot of mental health problems was really focused on her environmental stuff only had one son but she just loved protests he was always second fiddle but it needed editing I'm not a fan of that stream of consciousness stuff...

I just saw an ad for a small discreet piece of hardware that records and transcribes all your conversations using AI... They're positing as a tool for creatives and corporates but I think its main use is going to be by arguing couples looking for ammunition and receipts.

As I am leaving Canberra later this year (my home for almost 10 years) I had one request for mother's Day:

LMAO futurism.com/artificial-i...

Do yourselves a favour and watch Deadloch. 👍👍👍👍👍

I can say that I've truly arrived at middle age. Have just finished installing new curtains (as well as the rods, brackets, finials etc.) and I am beyond delighted. Sending photos to everyone.

This is actually demented. You will never, acting in good faith, "fix immigration" sufficiently to see off the rabid racists. And in trying, you will alienate all decent people.

pls repost! Are you an academic or someone who has published academically who has requested name changes in your works because you were married (or used to go by a former name)? please let me know via reply/DM/the contact form on my website if you're willing to chat about! #AcademicChatter 🗂️🗃️📜📚

“Sometimes people need to make the tough choices,” said the man too scared to properly tax gas companies chaser.com.au/national/alb...

Curious why in one NSW town of 2,209 people gambling machines extracted almost $4,000 per person? I wrote about how Australia kept its third places alive by hiding the cost inside them, why Britain’s reform backfired and I even tried to beat the machine myself. open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...

Very excited to see that The Conversation Canada has started a series on linguistics - Slanguage. Also, this useful to have in your back pocket for when arguing about AI slop: theconversation.com/slanguage-wh...

No. Really? Who'd've thought pouring petrol on a fire would make it bigger? www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Great piece. Nailed it. “America under Trump is no longer the guarantor of our security, our trade, or the international rules-based order, and has demonstrated it will be disloyal to even its closest allies … It’s no longer to our global advantage to be regarded as a close US ally.” #AusPol

For the first time in my life, I'm actually on the side of the Catholic church. Hell must be getting bloody cold...

English doesn't have a huge olfactory lexicon (we tend to use similes) and over time the words we do have tend to become more pejorative, so I really enjoyed this author's descriptions: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... Also 'fatberg' and 'pooballs'

New over here so introducing myself with some commentary on Artemis II!

I’m in one group chat where the whole thing is that we exclusively talk about and share poetry we like and somebody shared this in the chat today and we were all like “yes, absolutely right, this belongs in here alongside John Ashbery”

Australian oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros offering a hymn of thanks...

“Australia Institute research has shown there is no link between increases in the minimum wage and future inflation, because guess what – most people don’t actually compare themselves to those on the lowest wages in Australia.” – Greg Jericho Read more on The Point: https://theaus.in/4bV8Usy

Doing a talk with Nick Evans on plant cognates to the ANU archaeology dept this Friday if anyone interested. Zoom details in link: archanth.cass.anu.edu.au/events/plant...

Some people at the bus stop next to me just collected their granddaughter from fancy private school and put her in one of these:

"It's time to call BS on the idea that we can't afford to look after Australians. "Subsidies that largely go to Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart, BHP, Rio Tinto are growing faster than the NDIS." @rodcampbell.bsky.social on Australia's out-of-control fossil fuel subsidies. #auspol 🎧 theaus.in/3PHIcMu

My primary school had Auslan as an L2 because of all the deaf students there, but ideally all schools should have Auslan classes regardless of whether there are deaf or HoH kids there. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Completely ignoring that insufficient funding is the root cause of crap food in aged care etc. It's Jamie Oliver all over again. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

If I’m going to be carding every single customer without checking whether they’re home anyway, then I may as well get the cards done first,” he explained. theshovel.com.au/2026/03/19/a...

Quite enjoyed this as the owner of "a little bitch hatchback".

One thing that a supposedly progressive government might want to do, if it so chose, would be to tax the gigantic windfall profits of large gas companies and use that money for, oh I don’t know, rental assistance, building houses, cost of living relief, that sort of thing

I was in my 2nd year of a fine arts/arts double degree and was required to do intro linguistics to fulfil my major in European Studies. It was taught by a notoriously dull lecturer and so had a high drop-out rate. I'd never even heard of linguistics until meeting that walking cardigan!

This might be the greatest split-screen ever broadcast. They’ll play this in museums in future. (🎥 LCI 🇫🇷)

YOU WEAR SIZE 14 SHOES, RIGHT?

My almost-3 year old skipped a nap today and is now in possession of not one, not two, but three tin whistles. 🎺🎺🎺 💀

Coffee, straight out of my nose.

My 2.5 year old has named one of her dolls Bongus 😂

Sometimes when I need a laugh, I ask my mum questions about technology: Mum, what's AI? Mum, do you know where the cloud is? Mum, what's the dark web?

👀 2 ace post-doc positions at UQ on Prof Felicity Meakins' Australian Research Council Laureate project: ‘Amplifying Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in Western Science with Language’. Get on it! uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/uqcare...

I have been enjoying more and more linguistics content on here over the past couple of years since I left the Other Place. I hope we can keep it growing!

After almost 4 weeks, our little boy has finally been discharged from the hospital and we're home! Can't thank the incredible staff at Centenary Hospital for Women and Children enough for saving the life of our newborn. 💚 Medicare is a TREASURE. Protect it. Don't take it for granted! 💪⚕️💚

The hunchback of Mariah Carey: Just learned that the Italian word for 'teleprompter' is the same as their word for 'hunchback' - 'gobbo'. Points if you recognise the song from the "phonetic" lyrics on the screen.

What not to say when someone tells you their newborn is in the ICU (a real-life casestudy): 🧵

My toddler having a meltdown because she "needs" a walrus. Not a toy one. Not a picture. She needs to go to a zoo and see a walrus apparently. And so today I discovered that there are no walruses in Australia.