G’day! I’m just a Melburnian with opinions and a keyboard. Expect rants about everything from coffee prices to climate change. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm and smashed avo.
Recent Posts
When AI Meets Government: The Grok Controversy and What It Really Means
The news that advocacy groups are pushing back against xAI’s Grok being used in US federal government operations caught my attention this week, and frankly, it’s got me thinking about the bigger picture here. While some might dismiss this as just another case of advocacy groups making noise about everything, I reckon there’s something more substantial worth unpacking.
The immediate reaction from many seems to be one of dismissal - after all, there are groups opposed to just about everything under the sun. But when it comes to AI systems potentially being integrated into government operations, especially one as unpredictable as Grok has proven to be, maybe we should be paying closer attention to these concerns rather than writing them off as background noise.
The Great Supplement Shuffle: Why I'm Shopping Overseas and What It Says About Us
There’s something oddly satisfying about finding a good bargain, and lately I’ve been getting that little dopamine hit from ordering supplements online from overseas retailers. With deals like 29% off at iHerb, it’s hard to ignore the significant savings compared to what we pay here at home. But this whole experience has got me thinking about more than just my wallet - it’s raised some interesting questions about regulation, consumer choice, and what we’re willing to trade off for a better price.
When Satire Becomes Reality: Australia Post and the American Shipping Nightmare
The line between satire and reality has become so blurred these days that when I saw the headline about Australia Post suspending deliveries to the US because they were “sick of dealing with Americans,” I had to double-check whether it was from The Shovel or a legitimate news source. Turns out it was satirical, but honestly? My first reaction was “fair dinkum, can’t blame them.”
This hit particularly close to home because anyone who’s tried to buy anything from the States in the last decade knows exactly what we’re dealing with. The shipping situation has become an absolute nightmare, and it’s not just about the costs – though those are eye-watering enough. It’s the attitudes, the excuses, and the sheer bloody-mindedness that comes with trying to get American sellers to post something overseas.