I got this book this week. Its pages are already curling. This wasn’t a cheap dime store pulp novel. @mitpress.bsky.social needs to produce better books for what they charge.

Unrealistic: The ethics of Trump’s foreign policy Trump’s foreign policy signals a new realism – one that discards ethics, human rights and international law and embraces pure power politics.

By my cousin @gdblunt.bsky.social:

"Likewise, the unethical bestial pursuit of power also invites disaster because it can result in a loss of the very thing it seeks to gain. Miller clearly never finished Thucydides’ The History of the Peloponnesian War (and Trump probably has no idea what it is)."

The urge to add “since they are Canadian, I would not rule out treachery” to my bio

On budget day, think of George Ward Hunt, who delivered his only budget in 1868.

On arriving in the Commons he discovered that he'd left his speech behind, & had to run home to get it while MPs sat grumbling in the Chamber.

That is why chancellors show the red box to journalists before setting out

oh my god they actually did it lmao

When the basic structure of society is captured by the wealthy you are in a crisis.

Donor Who Gave $130 Million to Pay Troops Is Reclusive Heir to Mellon Fortune

Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and a major financial backer of Donald Trump, is the anonymous private donor who gave $130 million to fund Trump's federal troops deployment in various US cities during the shutdown. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/u...

Me: This article is explicitly not about X; lots of people right about X. I’m writing about Y.

Reviewer 2: Cool, Y is really interesting and important, but you have you thought about writing about X… I write about X.

Me: Pass my the ice pick I’m going to lobotomise myself.

It’s ridiculous that people are live blogging the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ah the Boomers, the real forgotten generation

Pubs to stay open until early hours in push for UK growth Exclusive: Plans for England and Wales would help ailing hospitality sector but health experts criticise plans

“How do we make the economy grow?”
“I don’t know. Alcohol clearly makes people more productive. Maybe we can booze ourselves into prosperity?”

Classic Britain.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Shades of Kirov

Brainrot.gov

I hate not having a light switch in my office. There’s just a motion sensor that demands I sit under brutal fluorescent light. Why can’t I be allowed to bring in a desk lamp so my eyes don’t feel like they’re being scooped out of my head? Why this need to control every element of the workspace?

I don’t know why people think Trump is erratic. He isn’t once you filter out the noise there is a consistent line of authoritarianism.

None of my teaching rooms have lecterns this semester; this makes it very difficult to use one’s lecture notes. I don’t need three monitors. I need a place where I can quickly
scan my notes without looking at my slides.

Planning for the plan god! Supplies for the supply throne!

The University of Sydney is blocking my access to the University of Sydney’s library in case the University of Sydney is stealing the University of Sydney’s data.

Australians could cut power bills by 90% if they made their homes more energy efficient, report finds Debate on how to generate energy ‘important but misses the point’, analyst says, when you can get such savings by using solar, batteries and efficient appliances

One of the wildest things about being a Canadian in Australia is just how poorly the houses are insulated here. People say it’s only cold for a couple of weeks. My brothers and sisters, it’s like three months and everyone just pretends not to be cold.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

After 3 years of education focussed part-time work and full-time parenting, I finally submitted a substantial new bit of research.

I look forward to the desk rejection.

Vanity

I remember when Biden would have lapses like this and everyone would say he was demented? Where are those voices now?

Me, editing

“I’m going to cut this 8500 word draft to 8000 words.”

Two hours later: 9000 words

Lessons from Los Angeles: Ethics in a declining democracy The recent LA riots has seen democratic norms slowly eroding. Our institutions require people to unite to support common ways of life.

My cousin, @gdblunt.bsky.social, writing for The Ethics Centre (Sydney, AU):

"Trump with characteristic impatience is trying to do in months what took Viktor Orban and Hugo Chavez years to accomplish in much weaker democracies."

It's pretty obvious that a lot of US mainstream media either doesn't recognise authoritarianism or doesn't want to call it out. Either way, it's an excellent way to destroy trust in your institution.

David Pope in Canberra Times

Emperor Palpatine is very concerned about escalating unrest on Ghorman

Festival of Dangerous Ideas: The Pitchforks are Coming (2024) - Myra Hamilton, Carl Rhodes & Jordan van den Berg Ordinary citizens are starting to realise that their dwindling share of our common wealth is no accident, but the inevitable result of the current system. As life becomes more precarious, ha...

Last year I joined Myra Hamilton, Jordan van den Berg and @gdblunt.bsky.social at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas to discuss the scourge of economic inequality

THE PITCHFORKS ARE COMING: Why the 1% should be afraid

Podcast now available
festivalofdangerousideas.libsyn.com/the-pitchfor...?

I doubt it. Aussie politics is too cutthroat to let him stay.