Royce Kurmelovs

Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals

This article is amazing.

‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike Evacuations near RAF base have reignited debate as Cypriots question the risks of hosting western military sites

‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike

To be clear, the Australian government itself is not without blame here. It forced the agency to seek external, private funding which created a vulnerability and used it as cover for policy goals. I encourage you to read the story and my other reporting to see how the various pieces fit together.

New: Internal tension at the Associated Press over use of AI. One of the AP newsroom leaders leading the company's AI initiatives told staff that many editors preferred an AI-written article to a human one, and told them when it comes to using AI in the newsroom "resistance is futile."

Drillers cannot increase production quickly enough to solve an oil supply crisis caused by Donald Trump’s war in Iran, industry bosses have warned, saying a big rise in output would take months to materialise. ft.trib.al/6JmcOUA

If I recall, Camus had a few things to say about Nietzsche.

Far-right ‘gangster morality’ and the search for meaning: why you should read Camus Philosopher and writer Albert Camus defined gangster morality as ‘an inexhaustible round of triumph and revenge, defeat and resentment’. Sound familiar?

'Rule by far-right movements hence does not “conserve” anything. It enshrines what Camus calls “gangster morality”: “an inexhaustible round of triumph and revenge, defeat and resentment.”'

US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war

"US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group."

I appreciate the meme game, but please don't share my stuff in threads that may be defamatory.

Albanese government rejected advice on Tasmanian salmon farming impact before passing pro-industry laws FoI documents show ministers ignored recommendation for fresh inquiry that could have reduced or paused farming

At this point, the Environment Department (and new EPA) exists to make recommendations that can be overruled as a political signal to industry.

Albanese government rejected advice on Tasmanian salmon farming impact before passing pro-industry laws FoI documents show ministers ignored recommendation for fresh inquiry that could have reduced or paused farming

Far out.

“The environment department advised the government in late 2024 that it should revoke a 2012 decision that allowed salmon farming to expand …”

Data centre power emissions double over five years Some of Australia’s top server space providers say big rises in their reported carbon output do not fully reflect their green energy aspirations.

Some of Australia’s biggest data centre operators have more than doubled their reported carbon emissions over the past five years, as the exponential growth of the sector leads to a major rise in demand on the power grid.

www.afr.com/policy/energ...

And if I recall it wasn't because of anything the Libs did: it was because their bite share dropped so low it skewed the math against the Greens.

In Australian politics, the product is never the problem, it's always the sales job.

a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape ALT: a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape

Basically the entire document is this meme:

Recommendations Part 1.

These recommendations are interesting. Note: i) the creation of a Red Team to read Labor's mind, ii) the need for more activists on the ground, iii) the acknowledgement the membership of the party is aging, iv) throw good money after bad attacking the Teals.

The posters excerpt.

There's more. Apparently the Coalition needed more "keyboard warriors". This seems to foreshadow the Coalition becoming the party of posters and trolls basically like the Republicans and the Russian government. I expect lots of use of the words "soy cuck" next election.

More Teals.

The official line of the Liberal Party is "All politicians are political." Will keep that in mind next time their MPs demand someone "put politics aside". Another important lesson learned here, apparently, is the Coalition need to fight dirtier, do more astroturfing.

The Teals excerpt.

The message here seems to be "Wilson won his seat but at what cost?" It also a) does not mention "climate change", the issue that motivates the Teals and b) falsely characterises them as a "party".

There's not much hope for the Coalition if they can't even get "know my enemy" right.

The "weird" excerpt.

"Similarly, the Party's comprehensive nuclear power policy was deeply unpopular with women, who CT found "considered it weird" but there was insufficient marketing effort made to address their concerns."

Here you go @pollhereford.bsky.social

Another excerpt.

Apparently not. This appears to be the only mention of climate change in the document and it suggests that discussion of the science and the response is alarmist.

It also suggests the party needed to put the Young Libs to work.

Another excerpt.

So why were the fires so extreme? Was there anything going on that may have made them worse? Unrelated: what's the Coalition's current stance on climate change? Also: why do you think the brand is toxic among young people?

Another excerpt.

The bias of the authors is showing here: they proceed from the observation that Australians liked Trump. Maybe in the circles they moved in...

How Australia’s CANDU Conservatives Fell in Love with Canadian Nuclear Ontario, Canada is the only place in the world to tear out wind turbines and embrace nuclear power. Australia’s conservatives have been taking notes.

It's also worth revisiting this deep into how the Coalition took on the nuclear dream by copying the homework of Canada's conservatives and their blue-blue alliance with unions representing workers associated with the nuclear industry.

Sizewell C nuclear power plant costs rise to £38bn Households will pay £1 a month towards the construction of the UK's second new nuclear power plant.

FWIW, I have no doubt business and financial interests were open to nuclear because the financials mean there are multiple opportunities to hook themselves into endless rivers of public money.

Excerpt relating to nuclear.

More nuclear.

I'll have more thoughts to share about this later, but this is *fascinating*. As other, smarter people have already pointed out to me, this suggests the nuclear plan is not dead, just that the Coalition will seek to lean more heavily on third party groups to get the word out if they try again.

Another excerpt.

The party of personal freedom and responsibility had concerns about the perceived authoritarianism of the man it, collectively, chose as leader and fought to elect, but fell into line for the cause.

Excerpt from election wash up.

I continue to be fascinated by the different stories various groups took from The Voice Referendum. Dutton, and the broader party, according to this, were so very proud of that act of sabotage.

Oh just wait Lucien. We will get to the "weird".

Excerpt from election wash up.

Yeegads! More democracy in our politics? You mean parties would have to negotiate? My word!