I've been thinking from the start of this stupid war that it seems a slow-motion version of the Suez crisis that humbled Britain in the 1950s. The whole thing is an embarrassment for the US.

"Yet, after two months of war, Trump remains entangled while Iran treats him with contempt. Indeed, Trump’s administration can’t even organise a meeting with the enemy.

"Iran’s negotiators flew out of the purported venue for peace talks, Islamabad, on the weekend as the US delegation was about to fly in. They would have encountered an empty meeting room.

"Trump was left to cover his embarrassment by claiming, once again, that 'we hold all the cards'. Yet he has no one to play cards with. This is a new nadir for American prestige."

#USpol #IranWar https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-says-he-s-won-the-war-no-one-has-told-the-iranians-20260427-p5zr90.html

That's appalling. With plenty of sane independents to choose from, they're going to preference the hard-right racists who want to destroy them? Great work, Liberal Party. #vicpol #SpringSt https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorian-liberals-to-preference-one-nation-at-state-election-20260426-p5zr5l.html

Brilliant article about AI, says a lot of what I've been thinking myself.

"The people who tell us that AI will dominate our future and take our jobs are the people who are hoping that will be true. They may be hoping this because it makes them feel important, or because they want to be billionaires, or because they simply do not understand other people. I think that final point is underestimated. If you are going to provide me with a robot servant, I have a very clear bar: It’s gotta be at least as much bang for my buck as my dishwasher.

"Normal people aren’t running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to automate every single part of their lives."

https://www.theverge.com/tldr/915176/nft-metaverse-ai-weirdos

#AI cc @nprofile1q...

Aha this has finally shown up at the library! Have been looking forward to reading it, love his work.

#book #books #biography

People doing long business video calls in public libraries are strange.

Forced to frequent a Subway outlet round the corner from my Auckland hotel, given the late arrival of the train from Wellington.

Subway sandwiches are odd. They're *almost* good, but somehow not. I think the bread is the issue.

#food

Fun pedestrian lights with Māori designs here in central Wellington:

#Wellington #NewZealand

The Otago Daily Times had to do a *lot* of censoring on this front page story:

#Dunedin #NewZealand

LOL at this headline
---
Dickhead With Ute Taller Than Himself Not So Fucking Smug About It Now
https://theshovel.com.au/2026/03/18/dickhead-with-ute-taller-than-himself-not-so-smug-about-it-now/

I've just discovered you can schedule messages from the iPhone to be delivered later. Huh. There's always something new* under the sun.

*this is possibly not new

#iPhone #iOS