Thomas-M. Stein

We celebrate the obscene prices people pay for real estate in this country - multimillion-dollar status symbols showcased in our newspapers, boasts of the huge profit made by the seller, and the triumphant buyers - but Oh! The poor mortgage-holders when the rates rise 0.25%!
Cost of living!

Some questions I had before — regarding AI and decision-making, and how much human oversight there would be, say, at Centrelink etc...

bsky.app/profile/tmss...

$5 billion in incorrect pension payments prompt calls to end “shoddy” automation system Advocates are urging the government to prioritise recommendations from the Robodebt Royal Commission, including transparency about how automated decisions are made.

"$5 billion in incorrect pension payments prompt calls to end “shoddy” automation system" by Tegan George
thepoint.com.au/news/260202

Real estate agents in Australia using apps that leave millions of lease documents at risk, digital researcher says ‘This is a blatant and disturbing disregard for the law and for people’s security,’ digital rights advocate says

On the platforms used by real estate agents for renters, documents are exposed and accessible without any form of login, according to research.

I was able to view applications and lease agreements among other docs exposed. Most of the platforms didn't respond. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Reputable sources of information increasingly become the key.

Illustration of Lady Liberty next to a guillotine. Textline: Universal liberty was one of two fundamental French concepts for handling authoritarianism.

Terrorising and killing one's own population in order to provoke a civil war, which allows one to suspend elections and abolish democracy, is the very last signal before dictatorship to the population to terminate the government being responsible for this and fix the obviously broken system. Resist.

“Offshore gas companies pay no royalties, which means they get the product that they’re selling for free.” – Senator Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens

✍️ Add your name to the petition calling on the government to fix our gas export laws: https://theaus.in/3LW3DIq

Good news, congratulations Rob!

"What Albanese decides on this invitation will be a strong pointer to his thinking on the deeper issues framed so brilliantly by the Canadian PM."

Read More #AUViews ausi.anu.edu.au/news/opinion... by @markgkenny.bsky.social via @canberratimes.bsky.social.

Unfortunately, the best thing we can hope for …

Four frames. 1. Hands holding invitation “You’re invited to join my Board of Peace” - Trump signature. Richard Marles says “It’s like the UN but without all the Human Rights and Rule of Law palaver…” 2. Albo now in pic, Marles continues, “So far it includes various peace-loving luminaries, like Tony Blair, Viktor Orbán, Netanyahu…” 3. “…plus Trump’s son-in-law and a bunch of property developers…” Albo says “Should we join it?” 4. Marles: “Perhaps we could appeal to their better angels…”

Long shot.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

Goose — don’t try to waltz with the fox only to convince him how beautiful your feathers are.

What a Year of Solar and Batteries Really Saved Us in 2025 Throughout 2025, I spoke a few times about our home energy solution, including our grid usage, our solar array and our Tesla Powerwall batteries. Now that I have a full year of data, I wanted to take ...

I ran the maths on our solar and battery install at home for all of 2025, and here are the results!

scotthelme.co.uk/what-a-year-...

Very grim.

www.ft.com/content/c894...

They broke into my car and nicked some toilet paper - hope I could help ;-)

You passed the entry test for your training ;-))

Solid.
My @smh cartoon.

LIVE: Ursula von der Leyen’s special address at Davos YouTube video by Reuters

LIVE: Ursula von der Leyen’s special address at Davos youtube.com/live/pvlsCrL...

Very sad to hear, Lars. Glad you and your family are all well. I wish you lots of strength to rebuild.

Also found on other systems. Very perfidious. The term enshittification comes to mind.

The focus on the ‘sensible centre’ has created a bad map where the road leads to nowhere, ignoring evidence when convenient and stifling democratic debate.

Order a copy of Dead Centre:
https://australiainstitute.org.au/store-dead-centre-vantage-point-issue-2/

Grass roots.
My @smh cartoon.

Yes. Political and public debate has become a showpiece of noisy hyperbole. This is what we, as a nation, are constantly exposed to; is this not what moulds us and the generations to come, shaping how we think? Everything is ultimately drowned out by the noise.

When hyperbole is the norm, should we be surprised that our politics has become less substantive?

#AUViews Read Now ausi.anu.edu.au/news/opinion... by @markgkenny.bsky.social via @canberratimes.bsky.social.

That would be a NATO member against another...

... "most of this export revenue is profit paid to the predominantly foreign-owned fossil fuel companies. Over 77% of the fossil fuel industry’s annual contribution to GDP is profit. In this light, the fossil fuel industry’s contribution to GDP is more of a gift to itself than to all Australians."

Cue the puzzled and increasingly irritated preacher, lamenting: “Oh. Who are these people? Why are they interjecting? Why are they even here? … How dare you interrupt my flock.”
[3/x]

Others linger nearby, puzzled at first, then emboldened … “Great. I love your idea, man. Can I add …,” says one. “Have you considered the wider implications for the community?” offers another, unwisely.
[2/x]

“The marketplace”

A “preacher” in the middle of a crowded marketplace — postulating, gesturing, reaching out towards his chosen flock, arms flailing skyward to hook their attention: those precious few amongst the crowd of many.
[1/x]

"In Australia, we subsidise the fossil fuel industry. We give more than half of the gas we export away for free, and we charge our kids a fortune to go to uni."

See more of Richard Denniss on Q&A here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAYxzRNfC6k