I’ve been reflecting on a story I came across recently about someone’s career rollercoaster over the past couple of years, and it really struck a chord with me. This person went from law to management consulting, got made redundant when the industry tanked, spent six months unemployed, took a massive pay cut to get back in the door, then worked themselves to the bone for nine months before finally landing a promotion that nearly doubled their previous salary.

The latest ABC report on Australia’s deepening baby recession has got me thinking about a conversation that’s been brewing in online forums and coffee shops across the country. The numbers are stark - our birth rate continues to plummet, and the reasons why are both complex and deeply personal.

Reading through the experiences shared by people across Australia, what strikes me most is how this isn’t just about abstract economic policy or demographic statistics. These are real people making incredibly difficult decisions about their futures, often choosing between financial security and the families they’d love to have.

Been scrolling through some heated discussions about OpenAI’s announcement of an “adult version” of ChatGPT, and honestly, it’s got me thinking about how quickly we’re sleepwalking into a surveillance state disguised as convenience.

The whole thing started with Sam Altman’s typical corporate speak about having “mitigated serious mental health issues” - which immediately set off my bullshit detector. When has a tech CEO ever genuinely solved a complex societal problem with a software update? It’s like saying we’ve cured loneliness by adding more emoji reactions to Facebook posts.