Simon Biddle

School parents’ WhatsApp chat is getting super spicy 🍿. Couple of parents spoke to the paper about school funding, the article write-up was not really reflective of the situation and now everyone’s going to town. Much more interesting than reminders about homework.

Same. But I ran out of guesses 😢

Wordle 1,370 X/6*

🟨⬜⬜🟨🟩
🟨🟨🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

WordleBot
Skill 94/99
Luck 44/99

if you find yourself reluctant to support the guy at Columbia because you find some of the politics he espoused distasteful or even abhorrent, you should know that this is exactly the reaction that they hoped for in choosing him as a target for unlawful detention based on political speech.

Never a big fan of Turnbull in general - but that's mostly due to his right-wing economic leanings. But compared to current state of conservative leadership (gestures everywhere) he's at least thoughtful, consistently pro western liberal institutions and calls out stupidity.

Great start to the 2025 gig year, @flaminglips.bsky.social doing Yoshimi in full + a second ‘classics’ set. Was a hot and sweaty night at Festy Hall but a still a high energy crowd. #FlamingLips #withallyourpower

Last first day of school today - twins off to prep and big sister year 2, handled it like champs. Mum and dad excited about a single drop off and no more childcare fees 👏 👏

I'm somewhat attracted to this and think it probably maximises chances Dems win in 2028. But I'm still squeamish embracing it as:
1 - It greatly increases distrust in govt which is needed to deliver good outcomes, and
2 - Driving down sentiment actually hurts people's wellbeing during the 4 years.

A lot of people seem to just not want to think about this or its implications - as if, if they just ignore it hard enough and keep their heads down and keep grinding, everything will work out and they can forget this confusing chapter. That’s wrong! That’s dangerous! Confront the problem!

The big question is how to deal with the new decentralised media landscape? I don't know the answer to this but ignoring it as many on the left are and just "delivering better" isn't the answer. We need to play where the game is and ensure that the left is playing in and winning the vibe war. 5/5

And he misjudged how much people hate inflation compared with unemployment and low economic growth, he was too slow to react to this. Many people feel small pain with inflation, a few people feel large pain with unemployment, unfortunately the former outweighs the latter. 4/5

Two caveats on Biden's performance - he really did let the ball slip on illegal/asylum migration, people genuinely value an ordered immigration process and he ignored that in favour of a very permissive approach to asylum. 3/5

You can't ignore delivery because materially worsening people's conditions will break through into the vibes and hurt you. But the lesson is you can't just assume that delivering a strong outcome will be rewarded; that you can point to it and it will make it through into people's consciousness. 2/5

Broadly agree with the thrust of this thread - 'vibes' have increased saliency in how people vote and this is more influenced by non-traditional sources. Delivering material benefits is important but if it doesn't break through or is swamped by counter-narratives in the vibe then you'll lose. 1/5

Here's the actual, correct summary of Biden's domestic presidency:

He entered office with very narrow legislative margins, made worse by the fact that two of his key votes were deeply intransigent. Nonetheless he was able to consistently pass sweeping legislation.

It’s going to be an unbearable 4 years of this shit. Had kind of repressed how bad it was living through this idiotic tweet stream of “governance” - almost entirely noise but had to figure out which 1% of it wasn’t …

Am sure would like access to the minerals, but even Trump’s not going to be able to invade a NATO country. Maybe this is a conscious ‘madman theory’ action to extract some favourable access but I think that’s giving him too much credence and it’s just the troll du jour.

Just make Wynyard lower of course...

I still find it hilarious in the Devil Wears Prada that Miranda Priestly is drinking Starbucks! In 2006, heck in 1996, no-one here with any social standing above a homeless person would be seen with anything as gauche as a chain-store coffee.

Was only "highbrow" in the US which was a total coffee wasteland prior to it. It was rightfully derided from the start here in Australia and Europe where we have had good coffee for generations. It failed in Aus and is now only frequented by tourists who know no better.

The one saving grace with Trump is he is all bluster and has a goldfish's attention span. None of this Greenland/Panama stuff is going to happen, it's just chum for his base. I'm more concerned he'll avoid military confrontation where it's needed and sell out democracy in Ukraine and Taiwan.

Oh, do you mean her first appearance on anyone's actual list? That is surprising if true. One of the top 3 or so artists of the 80s being on no-one's 100.

I go via the playlist on Spotify - is very handy for this purpose.

First time voting on BlueSky - continuing approach of only voting for songs not already in heats. Surprisingly no Madonna songs have made it yet.

3 - Hung Up / Madonna
2 - Loser / Beck
1 - ! (Song Formally Known As) / Regurgitator

Anything sadder than an old man voting in the #Hottest100? Yep, not voting in the #Hottest100

The only remotely good thing that's going to happen politically in the near future is internecine trumpworld fighting. It's all we've got at the moment so let's cherish it

It’s the best. My kids have been asking for them since May 😂

The real Xmas day is first hot cross bun day. Four months of this delicious goodness before they get cruelly taken from us.

We’ve volunteered to water the gardens at the school over the holidays (we live across the road). The biggest perk is that I now have access to 5 extra, empty recycle bins. Just may use them all.