Russell Brown
@publicaddress.bsky.social
Journalist, rider of bikes, cooker of food, seeker of joy. Dad-DJ. Cosmopolitan.
Reposted by Russell Brown
"at least I'm not as horrible as Ruth Richardson" has got to be the faintest praise anyone has ever been damned with
Nicola Willis going thermonuclear on Ruth Richardson and TPU's upcoming campaign against her.
She says she wants Ruth Richardson to stop "lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper" and debate her directly on her "tolerance for human misery".
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
She says she wants Ruth Richardson to stop "lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper" and debate her directly on her "tolerance for human misery".
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Nicola Willis challenges Ruth Richardson to debate on ‘tolerance for human misery’
The Finance Minister hits back at her National Party predecessor - but Richardson is not interested in “pistols at dawn”.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 9, 2025 at 3:50 AM
"at least I'm not as horrible as Ruth Richardson" has got to be the faintest praise anyone has ever been damned with
I read this and it's drivel. The fuck is it with these people (Freeman's habitual meal ticket is anti-trans obsession) having to drag everything that's not about them into their dumbarse, mutually-reinforcing culture war narratives?
As the trans community have known for a while now - the definition of activist is someone who dares to state they exist
December 8, 2025 at 9:59 PM
I read this and it's drivel. The fuck is it with these people (Freeman's habitual meal ticket is anti-trans obsession) having to drag everything that's not about them into their dumbarse, mutually-reinforcing culture war narratives?
Reposted by Russell Brown
As promised, this story has now come out from behind the paywall. Cheapskates, fill your boots. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
December 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM
As promised, this story has now come out from behind the paywall. Cheapskates, fill your boots. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
Reposted by Russell Brown
Reposted by Russell Brown
Warning from German scientists that current observations of emissions and ocean temperatures make 3C of #globalheating by mid-century plausible.
3C of heating makes our current global society unlivable, by the way. Parts of Spain become the Sahara, eg.
worldcrunch.com/focus/green-...
3C of heating makes our current global society unlivable, by the way. Parts of Spain become the Sahara, eg.
worldcrunch.com/focus/green-...
December 8, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Warning from German scientists that current observations of emissions and ocean temperatures make 3C of #globalheating by mid-century plausible.
3C of heating makes our current global society unlivable, by the way. Parts of Spain become the Sahara, eg.
worldcrunch.com/focus/green-...
3C of heating makes our current global society unlivable, by the way. Parts of Spain become the Sahara, eg.
worldcrunch.com/focus/green-...
Newsroom's sponsored stories are an insight into the kind of babble business are spouting to look cool to each other. The housing one is about a start-up in Texas that's 3D-printing houses and *that* tech looks quite cool. But the AI part is just a prompt tool for buyers to choose design options.
December 8, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Newsroom's sponsored stories are an insight into the kind of babble business are spouting to look cool to each other. The housing one is about a start-up in Texas that's 3D-printing houses and *that* tech looks quite cool. But the AI part is just a prompt tool for buyers to choose design options.
Reposted by Russell Brown
Pretty infuriating: King Gizzard quit Spotify over ethical concerns -- and now Spotify is letting AI knockoffs of its music (with all the lyrics copied verbatim) proliferate on its platform
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
King Gizzard Pulled Their Music From Spotify in Protest, and Now Spotify Is Hosting AI Knockoffs of Their Songs
An impersonator appears to be using generative AI to poorly clone rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's iconic sound on Spotify.
futurism.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Pretty infuriating: King Gizzard quit Spotify over ethical concerns -- and now Spotify is letting AI knockoffs of its music (with all the lyrics copied verbatim) proliferate on its platform
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Reposted by Russell Brown
This is true and if it comes down to it, our family will handle it is as follows: come and talk to me about whatever service you want
We have a good enough relationship with our kids to make this work
Not everyone does, and the kids most at risk under the status quo will be much MORE at risk now
We have a good enough relationship with our kids to make this work
Not everyone does, and the kids most at risk under the status quo will be much MORE at risk now
As a parent in Australia this law makes it HARDER for me to keep my kids safe. They’ll all move to alt services on the dark web instead, using Tor or VPNs or proxies that will be harder to keeps tabs on. A few smart techy kids will figure out how and show everyone else. The law is dangerous
December 8, 2025 at 5:18 AM
This is true and if it comes down to it, our family will handle it is as follows: come and talk to me about whatever service you want
We have a good enough relationship with our kids to make this work
Not everyone does, and the kids most at risk under the status quo will be much MORE at risk now
We have a good enough relationship with our kids to make this work
Not everyone does, and the kids most at risk under the status quo will be much MORE at risk now
Boom.
The Australien Government has made an ad about the Social Media Ban for Under-16s, and it's surprisingly honest and informative.
Honest Government Ad | Social Media Ban
YouTube video by thejuicemedia
www.youtube.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Boom.
Reposted by Russell Brown
“This is the strongest critique of New Zealand CERD has ever issued. Unlike the 2017 review, which acknowledged progress, this report finds virtually no positive steps on Māori rights or racial equity.”
Pretty clear why the coalition have been so eager to discredit the UN.
Pretty clear why the coalition have been so eager to discredit the UN.
It's so bad, we now have an article in the international edition of The Guardian.
“unprecedented in both its length and its language”
@evacorlett.bsky.social doing some of her best work, again.
#nzpol
“unprecedented in both its length and its language”
@evacorlett.bsky.social doing some of her best work, again.
#nzpol
UN report sounds alarm over Māori rights in New Zealand
UN committee raised concerns over government policies including scrapping the Māori Health Authority and funding cuts for Indigenous services
www.theguardian.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:03 AM
“This is the strongest critique of New Zealand CERD has ever issued. Unlike the 2017 review, which acknowledged progress, this report finds virtually no positive steps on Māori rights or racial equity.”
Pretty clear why the coalition have been so eager to discredit the UN.
Pretty clear why the coalition have been so eager to discredit the UN.
Reposted by Russell Brown
Remember the positive vibes around NZ being top in the world for work life balance? If we haven't got that - it's not like there's high wages, increased super contributions, or even great healthcare to support attracting and retaining talent instead.
Remember when it was too much WFH that was the problem? This is just that again – finding something to point at and blame. The fact that the economy is full of seasonal businesses that make their money in summer is studiously ignored. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
‘Are we still in holiday mode until March?’ Simon Bridges also questions the long summer break
The summer shutdown is coming but should the Kiwi summer holiday still stay sacrosanct?
www.stuff.co.nz
December 8, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Remember the positive vibes around NZ being top in the world for work life balance? If we haven't got that - it's not like there's high wages, increased super contributions, or even great healthcare to support attracting and retaining talent instead.
Remember when it was too much WFH that was the problem? This is just that again – finding something to point at and blame. The fact that the economy is full of seasonal businesses that make their money in summer is studiously ignored. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
‘Are we still in holiday mode until March?’ Simon Bridges also questions the long summer break
The summer shutdown is coming but should the Kiwi summer holiday still stay sacrosanct?
www.stuff.co.nz
December 8, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Remember when it was too much WFH that was the problem? This is just that again – finding something to point at and blame. The fact that the economy is full of seasonal businesses that make their money in summer is studiously ignored. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
Reposted by Russell Brown
This is terrible policy that likely forces all users to identify themselves to online services, and fails to recognise the reality of the world in which modern teenagers exist and communicate.
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
December 8, 2025 at 1:16 AM
This is terrible policy that likely forces all users to identify themselves to online services, and fails to recognise the reality of the world in which modern teenagers exist and communicate.
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
It is a knee jerk policy response to a poorly understood issue defined by people who don't talk to kids
Reposted by Russell Brown
if you need some help understanding or explaining why this is terrible, start here: newsletter.sachajudd.com/archive/id-p...
December 8, 2025 at 1:42 AM
if you need some help understanding or explaining why this is terrible, start here: newsletter.sachajudd.com/archive/id-p...
Reposted by Russell Brown
Has the National Party contemplated the bold step of them improving productivity by not being in power. There is more evidence for that than the justifications I am seeing in the media about worker holiday rights.
December 8, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Has the National Party contemplated the bold step of them improving productivity by not being in power. There is more evidence for that than the justifications I am seeing in the media about worker holiday rights.
Reposted by Russell Brown
Cowboy hat wearing cycleway sabatour putting these signs up all over Grey Lynn Shops and Surrey Crescent today, based on some completely deranged idea of whats happening.
Interesting whos hoarding (cough cough Mike Lee) was used to make these signs...
Interesting whos hoarding (cough cough Mike Lee) was used to make these signs...
December 8, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Cowboy hat wearing cycleway sabatour putting these signs up all over Grey Lynn Shops and Surrey Crescent today, based on some completely deranged idea of whats happening.
Interesting whos hoarding (cough cough Mike Lee) was used to make these signs...
Interesting whos hoarding (cough cough Mike Lee) was used to make these signs...
Reposted by Russell Brown
On banning and disability. Whose interests?
A whole lot of not thinking things through with this policy.
Pretty much assumes everyone is a middle-upper class white, straight teenager with no issues living in a city
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Pretty much assumes everyone is a middle-upper class white, straight teenager with no issues living in a city
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I’m 15 years old and have a disability. Social media has been a lifeline – why is the government kicking me off? | Ezra Sholl
As I come to terms with life as a quadriplegic, Instagram and TikTok are a reminder I’m not alone
www.theguardian.com
December 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
On banning and disability. Whose interests?
Reposted by Russell Brown
If you've ever been to a naturalization ceremony, you know they're filled with people whose palpable love of this country is twenty times stronger than the pinched "patriotism" of any native-born MAGA chud.
Just unspeakable assholery.
Just unspeakable assholery.
December 7, 2025 at 12:45 AM
If you've ever been to a naturalization ceremony, you know they're filled with people whose palpable love of this country is twenty times stronger than the pinched "patriotism" of any native-born MAGA chud.
Just unspeakable assholery.
Just unspeakable assholery.
Yeah, this is a real thing.
I spend so much time verifying everything now from art to cited sources to photos to historical references to citations to quotes to legal and medical information that it's really hard to fathom how much work AI has collectively added to the world, not reduced
Here's the reality this example illustrates:
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
It's not even just about people blindly trusting what ChatGPT tells them. LLMs are poisoning the entire information ecosystem. You can't even necessarily trust that the citations in a published paper are real (or a search engine's descriptions of them).
December 7, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Yeah, this is a real thing.
Reposted by Russell Brown
Forget strangling baby Hitler when I get a Time Machine I’m drone striking an early PayPal board meeting
December 7, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Forget strangling baby Hitler when I get a Time Machine I’m drone striking an early PayPal board meeting
Reposted by Russell Brown
Everything you need to know about the US’ slow turn against the EU.
![Elon Musk
@elonmusk • 6год.
X
The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people
18 тис
2] 26тис
146тис 1l 18млн Д
企
Dmitry Medvedev • @MedvedevRu... . 5 год. ...
Exactly](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:movn6xzezospl7lnkhy7nzpt/bafkreidroj7c52lngktpqqdtbxkfcnjlmdbpks6ssi3j4ykeif7zwca7ki@jpeg)
December 6, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Everything you need to know about the US’ slow turn against the EU.
Reposted by Russell Brown
I was told everyone was leaving.
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
December 5, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I was told everyone was leaving.
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
Reposted by Russell Brown
This is an absolutely batshit draconian policy. How many ways can they wage violence against trust in information, this time combined with xenophobic immigration policies?
Holy shit.
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
December 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This is an absolutely batshit draconian policy. How many ways can they wage violence against trust in information, this time combined with xenophobic immigration policies?
Reposted by Russell Brown
Also politicians and the journalists
I'm begging any artists still using Twitter claiming it's integral to their work to just leave. It's been revealed the site works off a made up "credit score" from hell and punishes you for posting like a normal human being.
Abandon Twitter for good. It's time. It's been time.
Abandon Twitter for good. It's time. It's been time.
December 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Also politicians and the journalists
Reposted by Russell Brown
here's what was happening to your jobs while he was rockin'out
December 4, 2025 at 7:42 AM
here's what was happening to your jobs while he was rockin'out