Michael Pearson

@tkinias.bsky.social beat me to it by about 35 seconds 😆

Side note: Is "rich tapestry" the text version of AI's inability to make the right number of fingers on human hands in images? As in, the easy give away that it's been produced by a bot? I feel like it's a real crutch phrase.

Private Splendour; Public Squalor As the sense public squalor intensifies, promises of private splendour gain ever more purchase among a public feeling brutalised by government retreat from its core responsibilities.

My latest RedBridge Intel Substack (it's been a while!): understanding the appeal of Trump and the right, what it means here and what progressives can do about it.

@rachelwithers.bsky.social & @timdunlop.bsky.social - as discussed.

open.substack.com/pub/redbridg...

Reflections on the hunger games Published in History Australia (Ahead of Print, 2024)

Last year ACU was the latest Uni to put their academics through a hunger games, a spill-and-fill scramble. It was needlessly cruel, claimed the jobs of close friends. Read this grand reckoning by @kfullagar.bsky.social, starting with @hannahforsyth.bsky.social. 🔥💜
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Fun fact: it was an Australian journalist working for the state broadcaster who was giving Spencer an interview platform when this happened -->>

www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01...

Yep. Season ending injury before round 1.

This thread is funnier than that ad...

I am extremely proud. Thank you to @hannahforsyth.bsky.social, all the editors at Labour History and to the ASSLH.

Sydney folk, come join a celebration of my new book Virtue Capitalists launched by Professor Emerita Raewyn Connell on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 5pm for 5.30 (ending at 7pm) at the University of Sydney Western Tower room, in the Quad. RSVP 👇asap docs.google.com/forms/d/1Mze...

Just as a heads up to my Melbourne friends, n*zis were just at Parliament Station. Cops keeping their distance, so they're just roaming around.

ACU is apparently disestablishing its vibrant medieval and early modern research program. And in history 19 historians will be forced to apply for 10 remaining jobs. If you aren't already suffering outrage overload from the global state of HE, please lend them your support.

Australia are through to the quarter finals at a home world cup. I am going to be feral on Saturday, and if we get past that I might go MIA for a week.

I’ve spent much of the last year examining car bloat, the process through which smaller vehicles are being replaced by increasingly massive SUVs and trucks.

What I’ve learned: Huge cars are terrible for society, often in ways that are hidden.

THREAD

me: I need a passport so I can go to australia

clerk: have you ever been convicted of a crime?

me: is... is that still necessary

Glad to hear because first impressions is that this is still very quiet. Not Threads level but still...

I'm here now, so if you've managed to find me here's a sleepy Juno as a reward.