Liam Pomfret

The U.S. is in a position where anything less than complete victory is a loss for Democrats and anything more than a complete loss is a win for Republicans. They started by gerrymandering physical electorates, they’re now gerrymandering your entire national electoral system. It’s evil but clever.

The new “Slip, Slop, Slap” for 2026. If you try to SLIP me some AI SLOP, then I’m going to SLAP you upside the head. (Now all we need are some catchy accompanying lyrics and a seagull-themed mascot.)

It is a bitter irony that Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, would pass away while “The Transformers: The Movie” is back in cinemas for the 40th anniversary “Apology Tour”.

It's humanity or billionaires

In light of recent food-related #auspol gaffes, I’d like to share with my fellow Aussies a few photos I’ve taken at local supermarkets here in my new home in Costa Rica.

Beginning to think that “things that would be flat out illegal if a human did them but are nothing more than the subject of awed discourse about how clever they are when AI agents do them” might not be a good foundational principle for future societies and maybe we need to do something different

Oh good, it seems like I was mistaken. There is a way to merge the home feeds on this app’s free version. The interface is just a little clunky and unintuitive. Still, that’s fine with me so long as it works.

Okay, testing a new crossposting app. If this one works without adding some nasty branding, I think I’ll make the switch.

Oh ew. I haven’t posted for ages, so I hadn’t realised the app I was using on iOS had started adding that footer. Not sure what other clients are available that support both Mastodon and iOS though… Crossposted with @openvibe.social

Well, it’s official. Just got my confirmation this morning that my Digital Nomad visa has now been approved. I’m finally now a proper resident here in Costa Rica. Crossposted with @openvibe.social

Spent 20 minutes this morning sitting with my 12yo and asking the new Google search questions about Pokémon. After laughing at all the bullshit and wrong answers, we had a serious discussion about the power of his human brain and the necessity of using trusted sources like Bulbapedia.

Florida is a world leader in Sentence™ exports

We should be learning from other countries...

Extremely disappointed with this news out of Japan. Japanese #privacy laws were always quite robust. These changes for the sake of AI companies are going to wreck things badly. www.theregister.com/2026/04/08/j...

Today, CDT joined the @globalencryption.org Steering Committee (Global Partners Digital, Internet Society Foundation, Mozilla ,+ @internetfreedom.bsky.social) in expressing serious concern over Meta’s decision to discontinue encryption for direct messages on Instagram.

Well, that was certainly the Liz Truss of ceasefires.

The ceasing of the ceasefire.

We wonder why we are in such trouble? The richest 0.1% hide more untaxed wealth offshore than the entire wealth of the poorest half of humanity. A just system demands that contribution and accountability increase with power—rather than vanish behind tax havens and secrecy. #pinks #oxfam

❗️At pre-election rallies in 🇭🇺Hungary, the crowd began chanting: "Russians — go home!" The historic slogan "Ruszkik haza" emerged during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and was directed against the Soviet occupation.

Article 3-7-26 by Julie K Brown. I am not one to subscribe to conspiracy theories but there does seem to be more and more evidence that Epstein may have been murdered. Remember, Julie K Brown is the journalist who has doggedly followed this coverup from its earliest days.

The Onion

Social media created this nonsense idea that not exposing yourself to hatred is isolationist. Choosing to not spend your free time with bigots isn’t living in a bubble. I don’t need to know what’s going on at X. I won’t be smarter or more knowledgeable or empathic by being there. Neither will you.

So, in launching a huge bombing campaign on Iran they apparently didn't plan for: - Who takes over; - Interceptor shortages from sustained drone retaliation; - How to defend US bases in the region; - Threats to ships in the Strait of Hormuz; and - How to evacuate Americans with airspace closed.

This past week has left us feeling quite vindicated for having chosen to fly Air Canada and avoid transiting via the US.

Absolutely nuts. I fired up Google Gemini and asked it a bunch of questions about my own field — areas I know really well, that I write and publish in. Literally the first paper that it told me about had a hallucinated author name

Having free wifi internet access on board an international flight is such a civilised way to travel.

So now that I’ve left Australia, at what point am I morally obligated to start getting teary eyed when I hear “I still call Australia Home”?

Just a few short hours now until we’re on our way. Still feels a bit surreal that I’m actually moving overseas.

Less than 24 hours to go now until we leave Australia for good (barring brief returns for holidays and if I’m between visas for some reason). Still feels extremely weird. Constantly worrying I’ve forgotten something important too.

I always knew moving overseas was going to be a bit of a pain, but every single challenge we encountered just kept surpassing our expectations and fears.

I always knew moving overseas was going to be a bit of a pain, but every single challenge we encountered just kept surpassing our expectations and fears.

So glad we gave ourselves a bit of leeway to get everything done for this move. The last couple of months have been a real struggle trying to get everything organised. Still need to make another tip run tomorrow, and probably get in a junk removal place for a couple of things too big for the car.

It feels somewhat appropriate that the last day we’ll spend living in our current house will be Pokémon Day, February 27th. The same day the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary, my wife and I will celebrate the first day of the next stage of this Pokémon Journey that's been our life together.

To give you an idea of how deranged the UK has become about gender stuff, here's Enid Blyton - the absolute avatar of classic English conservatism and a huge fan of racist "gollywogs" - casually describing a gender non-conforming kid in the 1940s and having their friends be totally cool with it.

Does the Australian government raise more money from beer than it does from the tax on our gas exports? YES And the look on their faces is priceless. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZln...

This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.

Happy #LibSpill Day for those who celebrate.

This is bleak: Jes Staley, currently CEO of Barclays, reassuring Epstein that popular revolt against financial elites is unlikely because capitalism and pop culture have defanged social movements, leaving people more invested in consumption than justice.

Lots of things are beginning to make sense now. Given Mandelson’s role in the People’s Vote, and his proximity to Epstein and his MAGA/Russian ties, no wonder they dismissed @carolecadwalla.bsky.social on Cambridge Analytica/Vote Leave and our joint investigation into Russian interference

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (1999). This game doesn't get enough love today.

“It is impossible to protect privacy from authoritarianism without addressing consumer privacy.” - from Daniel J. Solove, Privacy in Authoritarian Times - final published version here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... #PrivacyMatters

Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue