The looming 25% tariff on imported vehicles has sent shockwaves through the automotive industry, with projected price increases of up to $6,000 per vehicle. Working in tech, I’ve seen firsthand how protectionist policies can backfire, and this situation feels eerily familiar.

The fascinating part isn’t just the economic impact – it’s watching the cognitive dissonance play out in real-time across the automotive sector. Dealerships that enthusiastically supported these policies are now grappling with the reality of what it means for their business. It’s like watching someone order extra-hot curry and then complaining about the burn.

Remember those days when every house had a landline phone? The familiar ring echoing through the house, the satisfying click of picking up the handset, and that curly cord that would inevitably get tangled? While most of us have long abandoned traditional landlines in favor of our smartphones, there’s something fascinating about bringing this technology back with a modern twist.

Reading about someone’s recent DIY VoIP phone system project got me thinking about our increasing dependence on mobile phones. The setup they described - using FusionPBX and FreeSWITCH on Proxmox - sparked my inner geek’s interest. It’s precisely the kind of project that would keep me happily occupied during those scorching summer weekends when staying indoors with the air-con is the only sensible option.

Remember when everyone was obsessed with mining cryptocurrency? Those makeshift rigs with multiple GPUs hanging precariously from metal frames, fans whirring away like mini jet engines? Well, history has a funny way of rhyming. The latest trend in tech circles isn’t mining digital coins - it’s running local Large Language Models.

The online discussions I’ve been following lately are filled with tech enthusiasts proudly showing off their homegrown AI setups. These aren’t your typical neat-and-tidy desktop computers; they’re magnificent contraptions of cooling systems, GPUs, and enough computing power to make any IT professional’s heart skip a beat. One particularly impressive build I spotted looked like a miniature apartment building, with GPUs occupying the “top floors” and an EPYC processor serving as the building’s superintendent.

Reading about a recent workplace incident has my blood boiling. Picture this: a new mother on maternity leave gets pressured by a fresh manager who seems utterly baffled by the concept that employees might occasionally need time away to, you know, have babies and care for them.

The story hit close to home because my own daughter recently started her first job, and I dread thinking about her potentially facing similar situations in her career. The new manager in this tale repeatedly mentioned how “weird” it was to have someone on the books but not physically present. Really? In 2024? Maternity leave has been around longer than email, for crying out loud.

Reading through recent discussions about housing affordability brings back memories of endless spreadsheet calculations and sleepless nights when I was house hunting a few years ago. The current debate about 2% deposits for $1.3 million homes has me both concerned and frustrated.

The numbers simply don’t add up. Someone earning $100,000 trying to service a $1.3 million loan isn’t just ambitious – it’s financially reckless. Even with government schemes offering to cover 40% of the purchase price, we’re still talking about massive repayments that would consume virtually every dollar of take-home pay.

The tech world is buzzing with OpenAI’s latest move - their new image generation model appears to have significantly reduced restrictions on creating images of public figures. This shift marks a fascinating and somewhat concerning evolution in AI capabilities, particularly around the creation of synthetic media.

Working in tech, I’ve watched the progression of AI image generation from its early days of bizarre, melted-face abstractions to today’s photorealistic outputs. The latest iteration seems to have taken a massive leap forward, not just in quality but in what it’s willing to create. The examples floating around social media range from amusing to unsettling - everything from politicians in unexpected scenarios to reimagined historical figures.

The other day, my phone buzzed with yet another SMS about unpaid toll charges. Living in Melbourne where CityLink and EastLink are part of daily life, you’d think I might give it a second glance. But this one claimed to be from some toll road in Wyoming. Right, because I regularly pop over to Wyoming for a quick drive.

These scam messages have become so prevalent that the FBI recently issued a warning about them. It would be almost comical if it weren’t for the fact that these scammers are successfully preying on vulnerable people. The tactics they’re using are getting increasingly sophisticated, yet hilariously sloppy at the same time. Messages from Philippine phone numbers claiming to be US state police? Group texts to 30 random people all supposedly owing the exact same amount? It’s like they’re not even trying anymore.

Looking through some online discussions about AI yesterday, I noticed an interesting pattern emerging. The conversation had devolved into a series of brief, almost automated-looking responses that ironically demonstrated the very essence of what we call “The Bitter Lesson” in artificial intelligence.

Back in 2019, Rich Sutton wrote about this concept, suggesting that the most effective approach to AI has consistently been to leverage raw computation power rather than trying to encode human knowledge directly. The bitter truth? Our carefully crafted human insights often prove less valuable than simply letting machines figure things out through brute force and massive amounts of data.

The question of justifying non-essential purchases has been bouncing around in my head lately, particularly after spotting a discussion about mechanical keyboards. It struck a chord with me, reminding me of my own journey down various technological rabbit holes over the years.

Looking at my home office setup right now, I’m typing this on a mechanical keyboard that cost more than what most would consider reasonable. Yet, it’s one of those purchases that brings me joy every single day. The satisfying tactile feedback, the precision, and yes, that oddly satisfying ’thock’ sound – they all contribute to making my work experience more enjoyable.

Cleaning out the garage this morning, I stumbled upon some old Streets ice cream containers, which sparked a rather depressing realization about how far our beloved frozen treats have fallen. Looking at today’s “frozen dairy desserts” sitting in my freezer, the difference is stark - and not in a good way.

Remember when ice cream was actually ice cream? These days, many of our childhood favorites have been quietly reformulated into something that barely resembles the original product. The culprit? A cost-cutting move that replaces real dairy fat with cheaper vegetable oils, particularly palm oil. It’s a perfect example of what’s known as “enshittification” - the gradual degradation of product quality in pursuit of higher profits.