My mom, the most tech illiterate person I know, pegged this with Siri years ago. "Oh? So the robot servants all have womens voices? Shocking, now they have someone else to boss around."

AI learns language from skewed sources. That could change how we humans speak – and think | Bruce Schneier Large language models aren’t trained on real-life conversations. As we encounter their language, it could affect our own

It's been well noted and is real shit.

"A 2022 study found that children in households that used voice commands ...became curt when speaking with humans, often calling out “Hey, do X” and expecting obedience, especially from anyone whose voice resembled the default-female electronic voices."

I read something recently about how young kids (like 5/6yrs old) that have been used to using Siri and Alexa at home, are using the same sort of abrupt demanding language with women outside of the home, because those tools are predominantly 'woman-coded' and instruction driven.

It's not just that the voices are young women; to make them sound realistic (it can be initially hard to tell it's not a real person) the voices are also slightly hesitant and use a rising inflection at the end of sentences. This makes them seem inexperienced and biddable.

I've just realised something sinister: all of the AI assistants that are answering the phone have been given the voices of young women. Let's have a think about the social and cultural messaging here.

#TheNerdReich.

Appeasing a bully to move product. What an excellent legacy to have.

Greetings from Australia's capital of bizarre murders!

The AFL needs to address why a vulnerable young man was put on the ground in what could have been a manic episode & Carlton should face sanctions.
Players, officials, medical staff and even the coach interacted with Hollands & FAILED to have him benched & receive medical assistance.
#auspol #afl

What went wrong in Israel? A genocide scholar examines ‘what Zionism became’ In his new book, Omer Bartov tracks how a liberatory strand of Zionism transformed into an extremist ideology that he sees as responsible for genocide in Gaza

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Yep @australianlabor.bsky.social

#Neoliberalism has clearly failed. Time to:

#TaxTheRich
#EndOligarchy
#RebuildPublicServices

Some relevant background on Chris Minns, the NSW premier responsibility for the horrific violence against anti-genocide protestors

"Minns will need to take responsibility for the police violence at Town Hall.The govt under Minns enacted bad laws, the police acted on the command of unlawful directions, they were emboldened & some were violent."

(Selection of the violence meted out by NSW police to anti-genocide protestors in🧵👇)

May Day stays in Bloody May! YouTube video by Jessica Conradi

The Queensland unions are not coming to help us like they did in 2013.

The media long ago abandoned us.

It's a skin & bone fight now against the Crisafulli government. #qldpol youtu.be/TnLuAXP9Mgk

AYCC Next Generation Fund Help build the next generation of climate justice leaders by making a donation today.

emergencyappeal2026.raiselysite.com

“If young people aren't organised, trained and empowered, we lose the boldest voice in the climate fight. Without AYCC, the movement loses its pipeline of leaders, and a generation of young people that refuse to take no for an answer on climate justice.

Donate”

COVID vaccines tied to less hospital care, long COVID, and economic burden

www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cov...

Vaccines work. Who knew?

“People vaccinated against COVID in Germany in 2023 experienced reduced hospitalization rates, fewer long-COVID diagnoses, and lower all-cause mortality than those who weren't vaccinated, according to a new study published in…”

Sunday service

I have actually heard sex tourists argue that they are helping their victims by paying them. As if you cant help a 14yo in poverty unless they have sex with you.

Atlantic currents aren’t some distant risk. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening now. If it tips, the consequences are real: a colder Europe, disrupted food systems, frozen ports, energy shortages. This isn’t a 2100 problem. It’s happening now. Source: buff.ly/QM0ykqT

I remember when people kept calling Martina Navratilova a man when she was playing for not fitting the "feminine ideal." I know these people are crazy, but you'd think some self reflection would come in at some point.

^I came here to say this. Robin has been nothing but a decent human being in his support for trans people online, and his opposition to bigotry and hatred, and felt obliged to step down as a BBC freelancer, while Navratilova does this with seeming impunity. The double standards are off the scale.

The hypocrisy of allowing her to say this while forcing out @robinince.bsky.social is off the charts.

Watching her trajectory these last several years has been sad - and again, it's brain poisoning coming from twitter. When I was over there I watched her get involved directly with JKR and Lewis and just unravel. She had a trans coach in the 70s, ffs. Just insanely sick towards trans women.

Love match.... champ Martina with pal Judy From CELIA WRIGHT In Sydney A HUGE scandal exploded over women's tennis last night when senior players were accused by a former Wimbledon champion of soducing young stars on the circuit. Margaret Court said the example set by stars including Wimbledon champ Martina Navratilova was so bad that young girl players were scared to go into tournament changing rooms Mum-of-four Mr Court claimed aspiring youngsters on the world tennis ce player but into homosexuality by senior players. She said. "Martines a great player like somebody at the top who the younger players can look up to "It'a pery aad for children to be exposed to homoszuality. Bad example Mrs Court -who won 25 grand slam titles m calmed the game now had many more gay women tennis players than when she was playing says ex-champ PROBLEM She said that this made it diffeuit for young players cially the espe- OneS who wanted to get on with tennts Mrs Court added dur ing a radio interview in Perth, Australia: There's no doubt there is a lot more of it now than when I finished playing. *There are players now who won't even go 10 the tournament changing rooms. "It's such a problem some familles often 20 along just to keep their youngsters away trom the lesbian element on the world tennis circuit. *If 1 had a daughter on the circuit, Td certainly want to there. And Mra Court blasted: "1 blame the senior playets. lesbian bisexual playe on - the circuit they're the ones get at the youngsten their example. Mrs Court refused name the group But she said she lieved Martina by millions on TV Continued on Poge T

Martina has a very selective memory of what it must be like to be labelled as a sexual predator…

No, Beth wasn't just cleared of all wrongdoing, it was found "there was harassment of the second
respondent by the claimant related to gender reassignment".

Beth is the victim here, and even when she is forced to flee to the literal other side of the world they just can't stop bullying her.

The "gender critical" movement will not leave this trans woman alone, even though she has had to relocate to Australia over their bullying.

Marking an LGBT+ person out as a "sexual predator" is how bigots have traditionally endangered LGBT+ people.

I absolutely guarantee that the BBC will do nothing about this.

What went wrong in Israel? A genocide scholar examines ‘what Zionism became’ In his new book, Omer Bartov tracks how a liberatory strand of Zionism transformed into an extremist ideology that he sees as responsible for genocide in Gaza

"Bartov’s declaration cost him several close relationships—even though subsequent events have not only validated his analysis [it's genocide] but further demonstrated the lack of concern for Palestinian suffering that has become prevalent in Israeli society."
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Global Electricity Review 2026 | Ember Solar surge halts fossil generation rise as clean power meets all demand growth and renewables overtake coal

As always: a thread on highlights from @ember-energy.org Nerd Easter global power sector data review!

With lots of good news, some noticeable kinda bad news, and a few things I think are missing from the picture. TY to Ember, this is such a valuable piece of work

Paying taxes.