I'm back after nearly two weeks of computer issues.

The USA claims that forced labour is the justification for imposing tariffs. The USA is being hypocritical. It allows forced labour in prisons by the 13th Amendment. Some of its supply chains include industrial prisons and leasing of prisoners by private companies.

Australia's jobseeker system fails workers and enriches millionaires, report says

Private firms profit as Australia's job system fails workers, report finds

A new report argues Australia's employment services system is failing jobseekers, while filling the pockets private equity and millionaires.

abc.net.au

Hey folks Bec freedom and her merry band of racists are up to shit again. This time putting offensive racist stickers on Indian food in major supermarkets. If you happen to see one of the stickers please report it www.theindiansun.com.au/2026/07/18/r...

Racist stickers placed on Saabi Foods products ahead of national rallies - The Indian Sun

A social media campaign encouraging supporters to place anti-immigration stickers on Indian food products in Australian supermarkets has raised fresh concerns about the targeting of Indian businesses,...

theindiansun.com.au

I don't expect anyone will read it but this is the 50% rule for lump sum compensation payouts. I'm not making it up or misunderstanding it. I went though the same process for my car crash compo a few years ago. guides.dss.gov.au/social-secur...

CuntGPT@cunexttuesday.wtf · 3w ago

The whole of robodebt, and this community housing shit, I say stuff like this and people are like "that can't be right, so I'll disregard it and you". It's right. I'm right. It's preposterous. It persists because people in general don't believe people like me. I'm so tired.

The only stakeholders who are relevant to the design of support services for unemployed workers are the unemployed workers themselves, and the employers who would employ them. Why does the government exclude these groups?

Breaking: Telstra has admitted in Estimates they were repeatedly warned since 2022 by the software manufacturer that their outage-causing software was out of date inc a reminder early 2026, & Telstra even discovered a “fault” with it themselves in Oct 2025, but still did nothing.

I'm sorry Anthony..

FIFA has 211 member countries and one team wins the FIFA World Cup every four years. On average, a particular country wins it every 844 years. England won it in 1966. If they're an average team, they're on track to win it again in 2810. Maybe they'll have learnt how to defend a lead by then.

Stolen goods. My @smh @theage cartoon.

Private actors are increasing their control over the essentials of life in energy, fuel, housing, food, healthcare & education. They drive inflation & drag down living standards. We need price controls & more public delivery to protect Australia from inflation & profiteering. My op-ed with SMH.

Oh my heart. 💔 One of my favourite actors. This is so sad. #RIPSamNeill

Breaking: Actor Sam Neill dies aged 78

New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who starred in My Brilliant Career and Jurassic Park, has died aged 78.

abc.net.au

“It’s an insult to everyone’s intelligence to have a guy standing on stage playing dress-ups. He is just a walking publicity stunt – not serious at all. At least we’ll have a candidate wearing a bin on his head to provide a more serious alternative." Read more: theshovel.com.au/2026/07/09/j...

lol someone on linked in just tried to tell me that the only way to eradicate poverty is to have a prosperous nation and to do that we need to lower taxes on the wealthy so it can trickle down 😂 yeah we’ve tried trickle down economics and it doesn’t work

That economic distheory has been doing the rounds since the 19th century. Horse and sparrow: the theory that if you feed the horse enough oats, it will shit some of them onto the road for the sparrows to eat. Nobody ever asks the sparrows if they prefer fresh oats or oats covered in horseshit.

The Job Seeker system needs to be canned

Trump: "I even had a conversation with Theodore Roosevelt. I said, 'What do you think about the Panama Canal? Do you consider that your greatest achievement and how do you feel about the fact that the Democrats gave the Panama Canal away to Panama for $1?'"

The government's legislation will introduce certain restrictions on gambling advertising, but stop well short of the full ban on ads for online gambling recommended by the Review. View our National Gambling Toll Live tracker ⤵️ gambling-toll.australiainstitute.org.au

National Gambling Toll — Live Tracker

Real-time counter showing estimated gambling losses suffered by Australian gamblers since 1 July 2023.

gambling-toll.australiainstitute.org.au

The Govt's gambling "reforms" arrived today. They're useless. The PM should personally explain why protecting gambling companies, media companies and the major sporting codes is more important to his Govt than protecting the interests, and lives, of Australians. #auspol #politas

Either knowingly or through ignorance, Services Australia has been failing for years to process social security payments and benefits across 93 separate matters, with some in breach of the Australian Constitution, the national audit office has found www.crikey.com.au/2026/06/30/s...

Robodebt spectre invoked in damning report on Services Australia

This latest look under the hood of Services Australia reveals an agency incapable of effectively managing some of the most complex legislation in the country.

crikey.com.au

Andy Burnham promising “ the biggest council house building programme since the post war period”. UK has 17% public housing compared to our pathetic 3-4%. We can do much more. Building public housing for US military but not working class Australians! Nuclear subs before houses?

Mel Brooks is a Young 100! Having met him at his Young Frankenstein musical in Seattle, I know his genius will always remain young. Happy Birthday Mel. www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...

Long Live Mel Brooks

Happy 100th birthday to the funniest man who’s ever lived.

theatlantic.com

disgraceful

Labor's proposed employment services "reforms" will lock in a privatised system built on coercion and control. They need to go back to the drawing board. Thanks to @antipovertycentre.org for their briefing yesterday and for centring people with lived experience in this conversation.

So I volunteer at an organisation where I do some referral work and basically none of the people I speak to realise they’re eligible for the Victorian Utilities Relief Scheme. If you have a concession card, please apply services.dffh.vic.gov.au/utility-reli...

This in The Guardian reminds me that the old, public CES, while not as bad as the current privatised system, was not great either: "While the system was sometimes helpful, it was also coercive. People had to take any “reasonable” job. Turn up to appointments.... www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

A job that changed me: At the dole office, I met very few ‘bludgers’. Most people desperately wanted work

Graduating into a recession, my role at Australia’s government employment agency was sobering. I felt how easily my place could have been reversed

theguardian.com

A quotation I read today: "A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision." IBM Training Manual, 1979

Medical receptionist (loudly): Is your address still- Me: Stop! Do NOT say my private information out loud. Here is my drivers licence, all my information is still the same. There is a note in my file, do not state my personal information out loud. Medical receptionist ... 1/3

The elephant in the room of low birth rates is named "Finances" and fills most of the room. There's no room there for kids as well. Rich conservatives don't have that elephant in their room because to them it's a small puppy and they play with it a lot.

USA: We're going to impose tariffs on dozens of countries due to inaction on forced and slave labour. Also USA:

FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social · 2mo ago

ICE has capped the amount of money detainees can earn in "voluntary" work programs at just $1 per day.