There’s something beautifully human about the collective panic that ensues when technology does exactly what we programmed it to do – just perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. I stumbled across a discussion recently about someone testing what they claimed was a “tester version of the open-weight OpenAI model” with a supposedly lean inference engine. The post itself was clearly tongue-in-cheek (complete with disclaimers about “silkposting”), but the responses were absolutely golden and got me thinking about our relationship with AI development.

There’s something oddly liberating about reading stories of people who’ve walked away from jobs faster than you can say “probationary period.” Yesterday I stumbled across a discussion thread about the shortest timeframes people have known a job wasn’t for them, and it got me thinking about workplace red flags and the courage it takes to trust your gut.

The original poster had it figured out in just two days. Two days! And honestly, good on them. There’s a refreshing honesty in recognising that early that something isn’t right and having the backbone to act on it. They mentioned not wanting to get “further enmeshed and embedded” with people relying on them before making their exit - which shows more consideration for their colleagues than many employers show their staff.

The discussion around occupational downgrade among refugees has been doing the rounds online lately, and it’s got me thinking about how we frame these conversations. The headlines focus on refugees experiencing career setbacks after a decade in Australia, but the reality is far more nuanced than the sensationalist framing suggests.

What struck me most about the various perspectives shared was how many people pointed out that occupational downgrade isn’t unique to refugees at all. It’s a common experience for most migrants whose qualifications aren’t recognised here. One person mentioned downgrading from a PhD in Iran to become an MD in Australia - earning more money and finding the work easier. Another talked about taking ten years to rebuild their career path entirely.

Been thinking a lot about Sam Altman’s latest blog post after stumbling across the discussion online. The Gentle Singularity - what a perfectly Silicon Valley way to package the complete transformation of human existence, right? Like calling a Category 5 hurricane a “weather event with enhanced precipitation opportunities.”

The most telling part of the whole piece wasn’t even Altman’s writing, but the reaction to it. Someone pointed out that this might be the last blog post he writes without AI assistance, which is both fascinating and slightly terrifying. Here we are, watching the CEO of OpenAI transition from human writer to human-AI hybrid in real time, and he’s treating it like switching from a typewriter to a word processor.

The James Webb Space Telescope has just dumped 1.5TB of data onto the internet, creating a searchable database containing imagery of nearly 800,000 galaxies. Eight hundred thousand. Let that sink in for a moment while you’re sitting there with your morning coffee, worrying about whether you remembered to put the bins out or if your teenage daughter will actually clean her room this week.

Someone in the comments perfectly captured what I’ve been feeling since this news broke: “I feel incredibly small, but filled with wonder.” That’s exactly it, isn’t it? There’s something profoundly humbling about being confronted with the sheer scale of the universe, yet simultaneously exhilarating. It’s like standing at the edge of the Southern Ocean down at St Kilda pier during a winter storm – you’re reminded just how tiny you are, but there’s something magnificent about that realisation.

Standing in line at my favorite coffee spot on Degraves Street this morning, scrolling through my usual tech forums, I stumbled upon what looked like yet another academic paper about AI reasoning capabilities. The title caught my eye, and for a brief moment, my sleep-deprived brain actually started processing it as legitimate research. Then I saw the author’s name - “Stevephen Pronkeldink” - and nearly spat out my coffee.

The beauty of this satirical paper lies in its perfect mimicry of academic writing. It’s a masterclass in scientific parody, hitting all the right notes while subtly pointing out the absurdity of some of the debates raging in the AI research community. The fact that several readers initially thought it was real speaks volumes about the current state of AI research papers and the sometimes circular arguments we see in the field.

The End of Financial Year sales are upon us again, and retailers are already rolling out their deals. While my inbox is flooded with countless “unmissable offers,” I’ve learned over the years that not all EOFY deals are created equal. Some require the investigative skills of a detective to uncover the real value.

Take the current Optus iPhone deal that’s creating quite a buzz. At first glance, it sounds incredible - an iPhone 16 Pro for $400? However, diving into the details reveals a more complex story. The deal actually offers a $1,187 credit towards an iPhone 16, but it comes with strings attached: a 24-month plan commitment and potential cancellation fees. This perfectly illustrates why we need to read beyond the headlines when deal hunting.

The latest revelations about Scott Morrison’s tenure as Prime Minister continue to paint an increasingly disturbing picture of his leadership. Documents have emerged showing he sought advice to prevent asylum seekers on Nauru from accessing abortions - a move that perfectly encapsulates the troubling intersection of personal religious beliefs and public policy that defined his time in office.

Reading through these documents, I’m struck by the calculated cruelty of it all. Here was a leader who wasn’t content with merely maintaining the already harsh offshore detention system - he actively sought ways to make life more difficult for some of the most vulnerable people under his government’s care.

Reading through an online discussion today about someone moving into a modest trailer home after escaping an abusive situation struck a deep chord. Their vulnerability in sharing their story and seeking advice reminded me of the incredible resilience people show in the face of adversity.

The thread quickly transformed into a masterclass in community support, with people offering practical solutions and encouragement. What stood out wasn’t just the advice, but the genuine warmth and understanding shown by complete strangers. While sitting in my comfortable home office in Brunswick, it made me reflect on how we often take basic necessities for granted.

The rain is hammering against my home office window, and for once, I’m genuinely happy about it. After nearly six months of unusually dry weather, this downpour feels like nature finally remembered where Victoria is on the map.

Looking at the Bureau of Meteorology data, the situation has been particularly dire. The entire southern coastline, including the Southwest of Victoria, has been experiencing severe drought conditions, with some areas recording their lowest 24-month rainfall on record. Warrnambool, typically one of our wetter regions, just recorded its highest daily total in 18 months - and it’s about time.