It all adds up to system in which engineers and founder‑kings supply strategy and tools while elected institutions are at best junior partners, and at worst obstacles. The real kicker is the underlying civilisational hierarchy and war on pluralism that pervades the whole racist mess. The project is wrapped in a story about Western virtue and “regressive” others. Tim Dunlop, The Software Reich https://open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/p/the-software-reich

Essential reading by @timdunlop.bsky.social.

"The Software Reich: On Palantir’s manifesto, its AI fantasies, and how the billionaires are positioning themselves as the new Guardians of the Universe"

Insane, globally powerful and infinitely dangerous.

open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/...

That's one high-quality pooch grin right there!

Three racks of fudge bars, labelled lemon cheesecake, dark forest and cheeky-nana, with grotesque uncanny valley illustrations showing, respectively, an Aryan nuclear family, a dead-eyed red riding hood with a plate of fruit and misshapen faux-Oreo cookies, and a banana being dipped in chocolate by a monkey-slash-sleep-paralysis-demon. A sign underneath these abominations says “Prestige Fudge NZ”.

Seriously, what in the Wolfgang Willrich is this nonsense?! Blonde, rosy-cheeked mother and child clones wearing clothing that is part 1890 and part 1950, with a brown-suited father who resembles the unholy offspring of Noel Edmonds and JD Vance. One of the dead-eyed apple-cheeked children of the corn is about to pierce a glutinous yellow cake with a fork that has been twisted into eldritch non-Euclidean forms by the tortured neurons of an LLM.

Can’t even go to the supermarket without getting GenAI slop pushed in your face. These unheimlich nightmares make me never want to eat fudge again.

"Makes no sense:" Fortescue launches major campaign to slash diesel tax rebates for big miners Iron ore giant launches national ad campaign to highlight Australians how much diesel tax rebate goes to giant miners.

"Makes no sense:" Fortescue launches major campaign to slash diesel tax rebates for big miners reneweconomy.com.au/makes-no-sen...

A $50 billion NDIS is proving too tempting for Australia’s rich-listers One NDIS business recorded a 45 per cent revenue jump last financial year and could become the first $1 billion disability business to list on the ASX.

If the NDIS can spawn a billion dollar ticket clipper, the redesign should kick out the ticket clippers.

www.smh.com.au/business/com...

Single frame. Title “Against the Law…” NSW Premier Chris Minns marching in front of the bench in court holding sign saying “SOCIAL COHESION RULES OK” and chanting “WHADDOIWANT? TO OUTLAW PROTEST! WHENNOIWANNIT? NOW!” Court scribe watches on and judge says, “Move on.”

Protest.
My @smh cartoon.

The NDIS set a new standard for welfare policy in 21st century Australia for a lot of reasons, including because it is a universal program that supports disabled people regardless of income so that we are on a more equal footing with others in the community.

Targeting is toxic and must be rejected.

PANEL 1: A demented robot holds laser gun at a guy (me): TURN OVER ALL YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT FROM THE LAST 15 YEARS OR I VAPORIZE YOU!! DJO: Whoa! Ok! PANEL 2: The robot to a doufy guy: FOR $7.99 A MONTH YOU CAN USE THIS NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR’S WORK TO CREATE YOUR OWN WATERED DOWN VERSIONS! Doufy Guy: got yourself a deal, buddy! PANEL 3: DJO: That robot guy just stole my shit and you’re paying him for it! Doufy Guy: Sorry, pal! $7.99 is a great deal, and like it or not, that robot guy… PANEL 4: doufy guy continued: …is the future! The Robot holding a laser gun at a little girl: TURN OVER ALL YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT FROM THE LAST 15 YEARS OR I VAPORIZE YOU!! Girl: Dude, I’m seven

GenAI is plunder, pass it on (a comic)

Goofball, engaging, everybody-loves-Charlie, Trudi's companion near the end, and so on.

And you know how every town has That Guy with prison tatts and an Aggro Mutt? Charlie's too big for A.M. - they speak politely to him, which means I'm this old guy with a pimp-stick who never cops grief!

Having found his favourite Frisbee, merely being blinded by it doesn't persuade Charlie the white hound to release the Frisbee.

I wanted pack pics but if you want to understand Charlie's essential nature ...

I've seen all sorts. Kelpies often don't socialise except with Kelpies. Charlie is husky-retriever cross, so he's a natural pack dog with a goofy nature.

But his absolute beloved friend is a "staffy-boxer-who-knows" shy rescue.

Can confirm. Any good dog park has a welcome waiting!

It's so much easier having a social dog. I inherit more social goodwill via Charlie than I've ever had in my life!

It's funny in a way, how the rugged individualist has a deep need to prove he's worthy to be in the clique.

And a social need to kiss the totem: this is what the in-crowd does.

I'm an NDIS insider. Forget rogue providers — conflict of interest is built into the auditing system While the government focuses on weeding out providers rorting the NDIS, the process of auditing those same providers is embedded with potential conflicts of interest.

Why is the #NDIS expensive “To become an NDIS auditor, you must complete the commission’s NDIS auditor course run only by one company: Engels Floyd Quality Consulting, which also happens to provide consultancy services to NDIS providers to get them “audit ready“.”
www.crikey.com.au/2026/04/21/n...

Before you commit to a dog name, go outside at 6:30 AM with no bra on and see how it feels begging that name to poo.

They dig down, I assume.

Funnelweb spiders don't ever build indoors.

Once again "the death of the West" meant "the death of my secret bank account."

A 1970 British vehicle? A second sugar daddy will be needed to pay for the mechanical repairs...

NDIS infiltrated by organised crime gangs using intimidation and threats of violence against Australians Review recommends better use of NDIS data to identify repeat rorters and a requirement for providers to register with the government

Australian politicians love to claim welfare programs are beset with fraud, even if there's very little evidence, because it justifies cutting welfare spending www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

If you see someone wearing these, remember that international humanitarian / war crimes law does not apply to them. "Who'd blame anybody?" said the judges at The Hague.

Let the wealthy use public goods for free, give them a stake in the quality of service provision, and simply tax them more than people on lower or no income.

Signed Brian Surgery, People’s Shambolic Republic of Darebinia.

Wild attack on batteries and renewables by 7's Spotlight program falls over at the first fact check TV program looking at appalling mining practices in Congo says it is a blight on the renewables and storage industry. But it falls over at the first fact check.

How biassed and inept are the commercial media:

Wild attack on batteries and renewables by 7's Spotlight program falls over at the first fact check reneweconomy.com.au/wild-attack-...

Here's their target: "Meanwhile, in-kind transfers like government-subsidised education, disability and healthcare are increasing."

Public Education
Public Disability Care
Public Health care

They want to be America.

Another way to frame this is that "only the neediest should get this thing" is functionally indistinguishable from "only the wealthy *will* get this thing".

Headline from the AFR "Time to end welfare for the wealthy, says big business"

You mean the superannuation tax breaks? No?
You mean the CGT discount? No?
You mean the fossil fuel subsidies? No?
You mean the free gas for multinationals? No?
You mean the failure of the PRRT? No?
You mean the tax dodging trusts? No?
You mean the lack of a wealth tax? No?

No you mean the NDIS FFS

Yes. It's not about truth, it's about destroying universal services.

We have a hankering for the mundane.